Saudi Arabia Planning to Lure Top Female Footballers As They Look to Develop Women’s Football

• Women's football in Saudi Arabia has improved in leaps and bounds
• The country is reportedly keen on bringing in top female stars to the women's league
• The Saudi Women's Premier League was only started last year

Saudi Arabia has been busy in sports in the last few years. The country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has invested billions of dollars in several sports across the world.

The country is now reportedly planning to improve its women's football by luring top female stars.

The men's Saudi Pro League's top four clubs, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Ahli, have invested heavily this year, signing elite footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Riyad Mahrez.

According to the Portuguese publication, Renascenca, top football clubs in the country are targeting top female footballers in the world.

Nigeria defender, Ashleigh Plumptre was one of the high-profile female footballers to move to Saudi Arabia after signing for Al-Ittihad, per the Guardian. Plumptre is just the first player to move to the country and more will follow.

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Women's football growth in Saudi Arabia

The country's national women's team made their debut in 2022, but women's football in the country had to undergo rapid growth to accomplish that. Their national team is being coached by Germany's Monika Staab, per FIFA.

In January last year, a women's league was launched, and it featured 16 teams. Al-Nassr won the inaugural Saudi Women's Premier League with 35 points from 11 wins. The second season is set to kick off in October 2023.

Ronaldo, Neymar, and Benzema have helped football in the country grow. The SPL have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on players who have raised the profile of the league.

The Saudi Arabia men's national pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the 2022 World Cup by beating eventual champions, Argentina.

Benzema backs Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid

As Sports Brief previously reported, Saudi Arabia recently announced their intention to bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

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The announcement came after Morocco, Spain, and Portugal were awarded the rights to host the tournament in 2030.

Al-Ittihad striker, Karim Benzema and Al-Ahli winger, Riyad Mahrez took to social media to back the Saudi World Cup bid.