Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has claimed that his club will strongly oppose a potential new transfer rule. Earlier in the week, The Athletic reported that Premier League teams will vote on banning associated clubs from making loan deals together. The possible transfer block would directly affect the Magpies. Newcastle's owners, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment […]

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are joining forces to help block the Turkish Super Cup match from happening in Saudi Arabia. The game is on Dec. 29 at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. Nevertheless, the two rival teams have proposed to face off at an alternative domestic arena instead. Yasser Al-Misehal, the president of the Saudi Arabian Football […]

Newcastle executive Dan Ashworth has confirmed that the Magpies might explore the Saudi market in January to find a replacement for the suspended Sandro Tonali. The Italian midfielder is now serving a 10-month ban after FIFA extended the worldwide suspension. The 23-year-old was sanctioned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), last week for violating betting […]

There is growing speculation that Manchester City midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, could potentially leave. Apparently, the European champions are seriously contemplating parting ways with him before his contract expires. De Bruyne last extended his contract in 2021. He did so using statistical analysis to determine the best place for his future in soccer. Since his […]

The upcoming Turkish Super Cup will move from its traditional setting. Instead, the game will take place in Saudi Arabia instead. The move coincides with the fourth edition of Riyadh Season, an annual state-sponsored entertainment and sports festival. "We are pleased that Saudi Arabia will host the Turkish Super Cup match, which includes two of […]

Saudi Arabia has officially expressed interest in potentially hosting the 2035 Women's World Cup. This news comes as the Middle Eastern nation is already working on ways to also host the 2034 men's World Cup. Possibly holding back-to-back major tournaments in the same area is fairly uncommon. Saudi exec on hosting a Women's World Cup: […]

The Saudi Pro League has an awful lot of money to spend on players. A summer window in which they spent heavily to recruit some of the globe's biggest stars has influenced the wealth scale in the sport. The annual World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players list by Forbes was released on Friday. This year's table predictably […]

There has been plenty of talk about the rise of professional soccer inside Saudi Arabia. Although previously relatively unknown, the Saudi Pro League essentially exploded onto the scene when Cristiano Ronaldo decided to join Al Nassr in January. The move may have shocked many around the globe, but money certainly talked. Ronaldo is currently earning […]

Jose Mourinho has claimed that he sees himself coaching in Saudi Arabia in the future. The current Roma manager, self-described as the "Special One," is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in Europe. He has previously collected silverware at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. Mourinho made the remarks during […]

Saudi outfit Al-Nassr is courting Alessando Del Piero to take the role of sporting director there. The team captained by Cristiano Ronaldo has been on fire, attracting star players from all around Europe. Following their recent on-field success, the Riyadh-based side aims to bolster their administrative ranks. Del Piero retired from soccer at the beginning […]

FIFA has given Australia just 25 days to decide whether or not they want to host the 2034 World Cup. The move comes on the same day as Saudi Arabia announced their intentions to bid for the tournament. The world's governing body of the sport has allocated the 2034 World Cup to Asia/Oceania. James Johnson, […]

High salaries in the Saudi Pro League may entice referees from the English Premier League. They may follow in the footsteps of some of those notable players who jumped to the Middle East this summer. The Saudi Pro League signed high-profile players during the most recent transfer window. That helped bring international attention to the […]

Following Al-Nassr's latest Saudi Pro League triumph on Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo responded to his skeptics. The soccer star's arrival in Saudi Arabia in January 2022 has been met with widespread acclaim. His presence sparked a dramatic shift in the sport, with numerous high-profile European players signing with Saudi Pro League clubs. A revival of sorts […]

These days, more than half of all matches in soccer leagues go on for more than 100 minutes. New data shows that 52.4% of league games exceed 100 minutes. This metric varies considerably from league to league. For example, the Middle East has the highest and Finland the lowest. The CIES Football Observatory analyzed the […]

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has proclaimed that he does not care about accusations of sportswashing. Bin Salman became his country's de facto ruler in 2017. Since then, the billionaire has invested a fortune in sports. Most notably, bin Salman's Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought a majority stake in Newcastle United in 2021. […]