THE moment Cristiano Ronaldo signed his eye-watering deal with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, experts predicted there'd be a ripple effect around the football world.
And they were right.
Clubs in the Saudi Professional League (SPL) have been on a shopping spree in the months since the Portuguese superstar made the Middle East his home, snapping up one big name after the other.
In June, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema joined Al Ittihad on a three-year deal worth a reported $100 million (R1,9 billion) and others soon followed suit.
Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté and Portugal midfielder Rúben Neves have all signed with Saudi clubs.
Most recently Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar signed a two-year deal with Al Hilal in a move reportedly worth £86m (R2bn). Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mané signed with Al Nassr in a deal that will earn him £650 000 (R15,6m) a week. Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson inked a contract with Al Ettifaq, which means he'll bank £700 000 (R16,8m) a week.
The message is clear: Saudi is on a mission to take on the world's biggest football leagues.
But it's not going to be that easy - the country has a long, dark history of human rights violations, making it a tough sell.
Al Hilal also made a world-record £259m (R6,2bn) offer for PSG's Kylian Mbappé but he turned it down, saying he doesn't want to play in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis also desperately wanted Lionel Messi, offering an eye-watering £390m (R9,3bn) for him to play at Al Hilal, but he opted to go to David Beckham's Inter Miami instead.
A setback? Well, maybe. But Saudi Arabia's football offensive shows no sign of slowing down. The country is hosting the 2023 Fifa Club World Cup in December - with Manchester City among the competing teams - and will also host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 7 September 2023 من YOU South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 7 September 2023 من YOU South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
ONE OF A KIND
She survived a violent stepfather and being raped by a bandmate as well as rampant showbiz sexism. Now as singer Cyndi Lauper heads off on her farewell tour aged 71, she just wants to have fun
TRUE TO HIS ROOTS
Rap icon Kendrick Lamar's recent Grammy haul has cemented his status as the king of hip-hop
RYAN'S ON A ROLLI
Ryan Rickelton has taken the cricket scene by storm, announcing himself as a force to be reckoned with
PARALYMPICS, HERE I COME!
He lost his left leg as a baby, but these days Nicklaas is a star on the athletics field and he's got big dreams
KEKE'S KICKING IT!
From child star to Hollywood powerhouse - Keke Palmer shines as an actress, podcast host and film producer
NEXT CHAPTER LOADING
Werner Wessels, the creative force behind many Miss SA winners, is stepping away from pageants to embrace new opportunities
BABY SHAME GAME
Lily Collins got a lot more than she bargained for when she announced she'd become a mom via a surrogate
BRIDGET'S BACK!
Renée Zellweger returns for the fourth and possibly final outing of Helen Fielding's ditsy cult heroine, a role she has relished from day one
I CAN BREATHE AGAIN'
After months of legal hell, two aneurysms and brain surgery, Alison Botha is relieved that her attackers are back behind bars and she can focus on getting better
SA IN TRUMP'S SIGHTS
With Elon Musk whispering in his ear the US president has unleashed his wrath on South Africa. But how worried should we be?
