Saudi Arabia in $200m Talks for African Super League: Report
Saudi Arabia is reportedly engaged in discussions for a sponsorship deal worth $200 million to support a new football competition called the African Super League, as stated by the UK news outlet, The Guardian.
The African Super League is a part of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) development plans aimed at boosting interest and revenue in football within the region.
Supported by FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino, CAF has been considering the establishment of a 24-team tournament.
The plans for the Super League have been under discussion for the past five years, and if implemented, the competition could prove lucrative for both football clubs and the overall development of the sport in Africa.
When the tournament was first announced in 2022, Infantino projected that an African Super League could generate revenues of $100 million, making it one of the top ten leagues worldwide.
Infantino also expressed the intention to raise $1 billion to provide every African country with a FIFA-compliant football stadium.
According to The Guardian, the competition could potentially launch as early as the 2024-25 season, with Saudi Arabia sponsoring an initial eight-team tournament.
Recently, CAF signed a five-year agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to promote growth opportunities for football in both Africa and Saudi Arabia.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe stated, "CAF is excited to collaborate and partner with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to develop and enhance football on our continent and globally. We are also exploring mutually beneficial partnerships, and further announcements will follow."
The strengthening of ties between Saudi Football authorities and the governing bodies of the sport in Africa could potentially bolster the long-standing bid for Saudi Arabia to host the FIFA World Cup.
Prince Abdulaziz confirmed Saudi Arabia interest in hosting a future World Cup bid and expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating, "Why not? Who wouldn't want to host the World Cup? We host a lot of events in the region. Any country in the world would love to host the World Cup. It an amazing tournament and it good for every country to host such an event."
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by North America, with Canada, Mexico, and the United States sharing the hosting duties. The earliest possibility for Saudi Arabia to host the tournament would be in 2030, and the official host nation for that year has yet to be announced.