The whole sports fan world is seeing the big opening that Saudi Arabia is making to international football, and this is wonderful as we will also meet new fans and different things…

R/: Thanks to the country’s transformative Vision 2030, sports in Saudi Arabia is opening up to the world and going through massive growth, with football at the heart of it. The Vision is focused on improving the quality of life in Saudi Arabia and when it comes to sport it’s all about inspiring our people to get involved.  Football is undoubtedly our national sport, and we have untapped potential and massive ambitions for the future. We strongly believe that football is for all. The latest figures show that 80% of our population play, watch or follow football – so that gives you a sense of what the sport means to us. We want to enrich lives through the beautiful game and like all nations we want to see our country compete at the highest levels.

We are on a mission to elevate Saudi football to new heights, offer new opportunities across the football ecosystem, for both boys and girls of course, inspire the nation to take part in football and for Saudi Arabia to become an influential force for good within world football.

 In order to do so, we launched ‘Our Tactics for Tomorrow’ our seven-pillar strategy to help us fulfil our ambitions. As well as women’s football, technology, refereeing and player pathways, our strategy obviously includes the on-pitch performances across a range of national teams, including men’s. We want to really have impact and move up the FIFA rankings and be among the top 20 ranked football nations by 2034,  for a multitude of reasons, not least the impact on our own people to get them into football and sport.

Al Nassr's impressive move to add superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to their squad has breathed new life into world football... Will Cristiano's presence give his new team the chance to claim the Club World Cup at some point?

R/: There’s no doubt Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest ever players to have graced a football pitch. He is well respected and adored across all parts of the world.  His signing adds enormous value to Saudi football in its entirety, not just his new club. He will help inspire a generation of Saudi children who can aspire to be just like him and will now get the opportunity to witness first-hand his professionalism that has helped make him one of the biggest stars in the history of the game.

PIF purchased Newcastle United and this year in the Premier League we see a very strong and different team. Do you think that in the next few years he will claim a title?

R/: The activity of the Ministry of Sport and Saudi Arabian Football Federation are separate to any of the sports investment decision of the Public Investment Fund. We have a great relationship with them of course and it was great to see host Newcastle United’s players and management in Saudi Arabia when they faced off against two of our clubs in friendly matches. As a Saudi, of course I would like to see Newcastle United win the Premier League at some stage in the future. It’ll be a very big achievement, especially considering the high level of competition and quality of other clubs in the league.  We wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season.

In the recent world cup we saw your national team pull off one of the biggest upsets in football history against Messi's Argentina…

R/: We could not be prouder of our nation and what we achieved. Our win against Argentina was a great showcase of the talent and technical abilities, not just in Saudi Arabia, but within the Middle East and the Asian continent as a whole. Seeing the celebrations play out across all corners of our country and the Arab world was truly incredible.

22 November 2022 is a day we will cherish forever. While the win undoubtedly surprised everyone it came against the 3rd highest ranked team in the world and the eventual champions of the tournament, we don’t think it was just a complete fluke or coincidence. It was a result of hard work and dedication from everyone involved within Saudi football over the past 4 and a half years.

We read that Al Nasr's other big rival Al Hilal is aiming to get another equally great superstar Lionel Messi at some point...

R/: We are a country bound by a love for football, and our fans are absolutely obsessed with the Saudi Pro League. There’s no doubt we want to see the world’s best players in our league. But as is the case with all football federations across the globe, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation is also not involved in any players’ contract negotiations. This is a matter exclusively for the clubs.

The Argentine national team led by Messi won the 22nd World Cup this year. Do you think he deservedly got the prestigious trophy?

R/: The 2022 FIFA World Cup was a very special competition. Not just because it was the first hosted in the Middle East, but because of the exceptional performances and memorable moments on the pitch. We expressed our congratulations to our good friends at the Argentinian Football Federation on the massive achievement. The final was absolutely incredible and was fitting for the magical moment the tournament provided fans all over the world over the course of the month in Qatar.

Now in February we have the resumption of the European competitions. Which teams do you consider as favorites to be present in June in the final of the Champions League that will be held in Istanbul?

R/: The UEFA Champions League always promises a great spectacle, and this season is no different. We’ve witnessed lots of surprises in the group stages, and that’s always great to see as a neutral! I wish all teams the best of luck in the upcoming rounds.

The Information tells us that a major effort has been launched by Prince and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salma so that Saudi Arabia with Egypt and Greece can claim to host the final phase of the 2030 World Cup. How far has this action progressed?

R/: There’s no doubt that it would be the ultimate honour and privilege for any country to host the FIFA World Cup. And we believe we have many of the qualities and values needed to host the tournament, from passionate fans to infrastructure to the desire to open our country and bring the world together. However, no decision has been made and our full concertation lies on our women’s and men’s Asian Cup 2026 and 2027 bids.

Do you think it is a great opportunity for your country with this move to proceed with the transformation of football and your country in general and to present something completely different?

R/: As mentioned earlier, our country is undergoing massive transformation. And football plays a big role in that transformation. We have very big ambitions, not just for the men’s game, but also the women’s game. We are fortunate that Saudi Arabia is a country bound by a love for football. The sport is truly enriched in all parts of our society. We have clear plans and want to enrich lives across through the beautiful game, and like all countries, we want to compete at the world’s biggest stages.  I want to point that I strong believe the journey and transformation of women’s football in Saudi Arabia is one of the most exciting stories in world football in recent years. We couldn’t be more thrilled about the progress of women’s football in Saudi Arabia. In under four years, we now have two national teams, two professional leagues, 25 clubs, over 1,000 licensed coaches, schools league and regional centres across the country. We were even fascinated by the fact over 700 players signed up for the national team’s try-outs and 50,000 signed up for the first ever schools league for girls.

The Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khatib about a month ago told Bloomberg that if the effort is successful, Saudi Arabia by 2030 has every possibility to present with the new infrastructures and changes, something surprising, of course in cooperation with Greece and Egypt.

R/: As mentioned earlier, no decision from the country’s leadership has been made about a 2030 World Cup bid. There’s no doubt it is the dream of any footballing nation to host it. For now, we are just focused on the two Asian Cup bids.

Will you come to Greece at some point to talk with Prime Minister Mr. Mitsotakis, who was visited a few months ago by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, about how the candidacy will proceed?

R/: At the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, we place great importance on strengthening our relationship with federations across the globe. We are in active conversations with federations across all continents, and the Greek Football Federation is one of them of course. It is a great football nation with lots of history. It is only right that we keep these conversations ongoing as it is important for us to expand on our collaborative efforts.

Let's change the subject a bit. Tell us about your country's professional league, how many teams it has, how many foreigners play and what the average attendance is per game.

R/: The Saudi Pro League is arguably Asia’s most popular and competitive league. It has been operating as an independent body since 2008.

We have a very strong relationship with them and share the same goals of elevating Saudi football to new heights. Like us, they also have very big ambitions and are undergoing transformation. Just a few days ago they announced a new board and have hired experienced football executive and former Man City CEO Garry Cook as their Executive President and CEO. He’s a great addition to Saudi football, and his appointment is a sign of the positive things to come at the SPL.

Samaras, Charisteas, Donis, Ouzounidis

The league is currently contested among 16 teams; however, this number will increase to 18 starting from next season. The record of our clubs in the AFC Asian Champions League proves our competitiveness.

We are extremely proud to witness the league’s growth year-on-year, reaching more fans, and to see world-class players from across the globe compete in it. Our league is played in front of sell-out, passionate crowds made up of men, women, boys and girls. Average attendance varies from one club to the other of course, but the 2020/21 season saw a total attendance of over 1.25m and a cumulative TV audience of 215m across the globe.

We currently have 128 international players in our league who represent almost 50 countries. It brings us great joy to see players from over the world call Saudi Arabia their home. We’re a football-mad nation, and I am sure the players welcomed the chance to play in front of thousands of passionate fans at the top level of Asian football.

Our clubs also played host to many Greek players and managers across the years from Georgios Samaras to Angelos Charisteas and Georgios Donis to Marinos Ouzounidis. We look forward to many more joining us in the future.

The whole sports fan world is seeing the big opening that Saudi Arabia is making to international football, and this is wonderful as we will also meet new fans and different things…

R/: Hosting international sports events is a very important part of our Ministry of Sport’s efforts to inspire our people to get into different sports, either on an amateur or professional level. They also form part of Saudi Arabia’s plans to welcome the world to Saudi Arabia. And, with football being our number one sport and millions playing it every week, it is of course one of the key sports that are being invested in. We can clearly see the impact these events such have had over recent years, and they are absolutely staggering.

 This is one of the reasons why we are bidding to host the 2027 Asian Cup for example. We also want to use our long-standing passion for football as a catalyst for the continued growth of the game across the continent. Asia has a bright football future, and we want the tournament to offer creative platforms to share best practices, as well as foster friendships among the different countries".