What's happened
Saudi Arabia's increasing investment in global sports is reshaping the industry and attracting top athletes.
Why it matters
The growing influence of Saudi Arabia in global sports is reshaping the industry, attracting top athletes, and raising ethical and geopolitical concerns.
What the papers say
The Independent emphasizes the significant influence of Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of LIV and governor of PIF, in reshaping modern sports. The Guardian highlights the geopolitical implications of Saudi Arabia's investments in football and its ambition to host the 2034 World Cup. AP News and The Independent both discuss the ethical concerns and controversies surrounding Saudi Arabia's influence in global sports.
How we got here
Saudi Arabia's increasing investments in global sports have sparked ethical and geopolitical debates, with concerns about the impact of its influence on the industry and international events.
More on these topics
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Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a country in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula.
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The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport's global governin
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Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
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The Super Golf League is a proposed golf league. SGL is owned by LIV Golf, which is financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.
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Saudis or Saudi Arabians are a nation composed mainly of Arab ethnic groups which are native to the Arabian Peninsula and live in the five historical Regions: Najd, Al-Hijaz, Asir, Tihama and Al-Ahsa; the regions which Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded