Saudi Arabia also recruited soccer legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema with contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and it's expected to bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo poses for a photo with the jersey after signing with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 30, 2022.
Sports analysts are doubtful that Saudi Arabia will see its ambitions to have a top soccer league realized, even with all the money it can offer to top-tier players.
Charles Laberge | LIV Golf | Getty ImagesOther criticism comes from an attitude among many that a Saudi league could never be a serious arena for athletes.
Emenalo, himself a former defender for Nigeria's national soccer team and former technical director at English club team Chelsea, called the criticisms "outrageous."
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