Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer

Kingdom of Football delves into the reasons behind Saudi Arabia's sudden emergence in the global football scene in 2023. It scrutinises the implications of the Kingdom's rapid and extensive involvement as an investor, owner, sponsor, host, and competitor, and what this could signify for both Saudi Arabia and the sport itself.
As a passionate football enthusiast and an expert on the Gulf region, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen delves into the historical and comparative aspects of Saudi Arabia's remarkable rise as a global football centre in the 2020s. He examines the kingdom's earlier investments in the sport during the 1970s and draws parallels with national efforts in other countries, such as the United States, Japan, and China, to promote and develop football.
This intriguing book delves deeper than the common media term ‘sportswashing’, exploring the motivations behind Saudi policymaking. It links the country's foray into football with its domestic economic and social changes, alongside external and foreign policy factors. This analysis delves into Riyadh's venture into global football, highlighting both the similarities and distinctions compared to the strategies employed by other Gulf States like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Coates Ulrichsen provides a thorough evaluation of the sustainability and longevity of the Kingdom's involvement in the sport as the countdown to the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is poised to host, enters its final decade.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen is Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and an associate fellow of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. His books with Hurst include Insecure Gulf Centres of Power in the Arab Gulf States.
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Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Published: August 21, 2025
Price: £18.50
Hardback: 264 pages
ISBN-10: 1911723669
ISBN-13: 978-1911723660
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