Will the Saudi Pro League ever be taken seriously?

That's not to say the Saudi Pro League has never succeeded. Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr in 2023 and has been vocal in his support of the league, saying it's better than America's Major League Soccer and France's Ligue 1. Neither claim is true and, for what it's worth, Ronaldo hasn't played in either league. Sadio Mane and Neymar also call the Saudi Pro League home.

Should soccer fans care about the league, though? So far, the numbers say that fans in America couldn't care less. The big-name signings that have worked out for SPL have led to an average viewership of 10,000 per game in America, according to Jaime Ojeda. For comparison, English Premier League matches registered all-time highs in American viewership last season at an average of 546,000. It's a steep mountain to climb for SPL.

Money is chief among the reasons players move over to Saudi Arabia. It's not the play on the field — the league ranks 26th in the world, according to Opta Analyst. And it's not packed stadiums — the Mirror reported in March that the league's average attendance was less than 8,500. Paltry to say the least.

The Saudi Pro League has yet to springboard off its limited high-profile signings, and the league is running out of megastars to serve as the face of its soccer movement alongside the aging Ronaldo. Serious amounts of cash don't mean the league has to be taken seriously in its strategy.