What Saudi football needs to succeed in 2034

Saudi Arabia is trading short-term splashes for a decade-long grind as it overhauls its footballing DNA. We talked to football experts about what it takes for Saudi’s national team and football ecosystem ahead of the 2034 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia’s 2026 World Cup showing is a step toward stronger results in 2034, but parts of the industry still need to evolve. The football industry takes time to develop, and the 2026 campaign highlights why Saudi continues to invest in its clubs and national team to build toward better results when it hosts the tournament in 2034, Deloitte Middle East’s Sports and Tourism leader Hassan Malik tells EnterpriseAM.

The current strategy in a nutshell: The Kingdom aims to balance local player pathways with investments in world-class talent and infrastructure, Malik says. Mahd Sports Academy is the Kingdom’s national talent-identification platform, scouting boys and girls from age six before feeding top prospects into SAFF’s Regional Training Centers and the Future Falcons pathway. “This integrated system will continue to deepen at every level, from elite club football through to early-age talent identification.”

Advanced selection and leadership

The ecosystem still needs to push further in competitive development and coaching, University Campus of Football Business’ Sport Finance Expert Professor Rob Wilson tells EnterpriseAM. “Strengthening grassroots participation, expanding elite academies, and increasing [prospects] for young Saudi players to gain meaningful competitive minutes could further enhance the national team’s depth.”

This is an “evolution rather than a change in direction,” Wilson says. He emphasized that the next step after gaining global attention through top signings is to invest in leadership education, especially the role of the sporting director, academies, coaching, sports science, and talent identification so the benefits become “embedded across the entire football pyramid.”

Success stories

International exposure is necessary: Saudi players require more international experience and tactical maturity by encouraging them to compete in top overseas leagues, Wilson says. This would introduce them to different playing styles and higher-intensity competition, complementing local investments and getting those players ready for major tournaments.

Several foreign federations offer useful success stories: Saudi Arabia can draw lessons from Japan, Germany, England, and France, including Japan’s long-term development discipline, Germany’s coaching and academy standards, England’s commercial strength and elite infrastructure, and France’s talent identification systems, Malik says.

External bodies needed

The country lacks an external body benchmarking the national team pathway against the world, Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Sports Management Professor Christos Anagnostopoulos tells EnterpriseAM. “So money gets spent across the system, but nobody outside it is really checking whether the national team pipeline is being built the right way.”

Academies also need to be held accountable: Funding isn’t the main issue when it comes to academies, but it's the entities that follow up on their performance, Anagnostopoulos says. They require independent monitoring and evaluation, with external partners handling certification rather than the federation grading its own homework. Other priorities are protecting academies and coaching budgets through clear rules and building a pipeline of licensed Saudi coaches.

What’s next for Saudi football?

Which KPIs should we keep an eye on? Wilson believes the success of development strategies can be measured by the number of Saudi players progressing into elite competition, improvements in coaching quality, academy productivity, and youth participation. Progress should also be seen through independent academy accreditation scores, the share of Pro League minutes played by academy graduates, coaching-license density against international standards, and national team rankings across three or four cycles, Anagnostopoulos said.

“The next phase is likely to shift from rapid expansion toward optimization,” Wilson says. Saudi Arabia is likely to give more attention to shifting financial investment into institutional excellence through talent development, stronger governance, improved club operations, and the creation of a self-sustaining football ecosystem, he adds. “If that transition is successful, Saudi football will be judged less by the players it attracts and more by the players, coaches, and clubs it consistently develops.”