Saudi Arabian soccer’s international ambitions for clubs including Super Leagues aired at conference WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

Saudi Arabia sees placing its soccer clubs in more international games including Super Leagues as key to achieving the kingdom’s ambitions, a leading industry conference was told Wednesday.

A debate on the emerging power of Saudi money and influence in world soccer opened the annual Financial Times-hosted soccer conference in the year the country is expected to be confirmed by FIFA as host of the men’s 2034 World Cup.

In club soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in January 2023 on a reported $200 million annual salary to play in the Saudi Pro League brought global attention to the domestic game and a subsequent spending spree on more players was mostly funded by oil-fueled sovereign wealth.

A global strategy was detailed Wednesday in London to help the Saudi league’s ambitious goal to become one of the world’s best — part of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 project to modernize the kingdom that critics say is “sportswashing.”

“If you are going to be bringing big players and …