Football in Saudi-Arabia

A new season of the Saudi Pro League is underway, now featuring some of the biggest names in football. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, among many others, have all signed-up to play in the country.

It has shaken up the transfer window but it is not without its controversy. Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who signed for a Saudi club for example, was a vocal advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. But in Saudi Arabia, sexual activity with people of the same sex is illegal and can be punishable by death. Henderson’s rainbow armbands have been edited to grey in recent promotional videos.

Host James Reynolds hears from three international football fans, Cassie, Alex and Evan. Cassie tells us how disappointed she is in Henderson: “He now stands with our oppressors – that was for the sake of a pay cheque.”

Some rights groups, including Amnesty International and Reprieve, have described Saudi Arabia’s spending on big name players as “sportswashing” to distract from a poor record on human rights. Two Saudi Arabian football journalists share an alternative perspective.

Until 2018, women were not allowed to attend professional football matches in Saudi Arabia. Today there are women’s leagues with professional players competing internationally. We meet one of the game’s rising stars, 19-year-old Tala and her coach, Naif, the founder and head coach at Jeddah Pro Football Academy.

A joint production between the BBC OS team and Boffin Media.

(Photo: Tala in Saudi-Arabia. Credit: Coach Naif at Jeddah Pro Football Academy)