Madrid, Milan, Munich, Manchester — and now Jeddah? Football is all about destinations and iconic stadiums that often become as famous as the great matches on the pitch. A Saudi side may not have managed to lift the FIFA Club World Cup this time, but the tournament gave a glimpse into our future as a major football destination.
For a start, a record 50,000 people watched the opening match — packing into the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium to see Al-Ittihad take on New Zealand’s Auckland City. Not only that, fan zones gave thousands more Saudis and visitors the chance to soak up the atmosphere and excitement.
The figure that stands out most for me though is the fact that international media coverage was at its highest level – with 444 journalists in attendance at the games. These came from around the world, and this means articles, stories and features have been appearing in newspapers, magazines and on televisions screens globally.
They will describe the warm welcome they received, the great stadiums and exciting hopes we have for the future. We showed we could host a major international tournament and put Saudi Arabia on show to the world. With big cup games from two of the biggest footballing nations — Italy and Spain — set to come here, as well as the World Cup and Asian Games in 2034, we are running out of things to bid for.
Such is our sporting ambition, some Western journalists have started speculating we may now go for the biggest sporting event of them all — the Olympics. Of course, hosting a tournament is one thing, delivering is another. Everything seemed to fall into place with the FIFA Club World Cup.
If this was an audition for bigger things to come, great thanks must go to Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, the head of the Ministry of Sports, for ensuring we delivered. What was most exciting was the willingness of fans to come, and how easy it was for them.
The champions Manchester City are used to big matches in Europe against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus. They treated coming to Jeddah in much the same way as they would one of these places — a simple flight, with one changeover for some.
But of course, it also gave them a chance to expand their horizons — a new continent, culture, and footballing atmosphere. While their brilliant side showed us how Al-Ittihad and all our teams want to perform on the pitch, we showed them the Saudi hospitality we want to be known around the world.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino summed it up when he said this tournament was two stadiums in Saudi Arabia and seven teams uniting the world. While I think we passed this test with flying colors, perhaps it is only a first step on a much longer journey.
After all, the World Cup will bring 48 teams representing the greatest footballing nations on earth — with Brazil, Mexico, Spain and France bringing many thousands of fans. The first foundations stones have been laid towards that goal. Manchester City became world club champions for the first time when they beat Fluminese of Brazil 4-0.
Their fans will now always remember the King Abdullah Stadium as where they achieved that. One day, hopefully, it will be thought of as iconic as the Nou Camp in Barcelona or Wembley in London. Saudi Arabia’s journey to footballing immortality has begun.
(This article was first published in Saudi Gazette on December 26, 2023)
