The renowned media personality Walid Al-Faraj has sparked widespread controversy in sporting circles after posting a series of tweets on X, in which he addressed the state of Saudi football—both at club level and in domestic competitions—as well as the national team’s situation, in light of the current challenges ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The current season is witnessing fierce competition for the Roshen League title between Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, whilst the Saudi national team is suffering a clear decline ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Al-Faraj spoke about his expectations regarding the future of the Public Investment Fund’s investment in major clubs, pointing to the possibility of a rapid withdrawal in the coming period, whilst emphasising that the fund has played an important role in developing the legal, administrative and marketing infrastructure. but he stressed that each club’s return to its own management would give it a distinct identity, which was one of the secrets behind the fierce competition previously seen in the Saudi Roshen League.
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He also noted that there are widespread calls from various sporting quarters for radical changes to the way Saudi football is managed, particularly at the level of the senior national team, stressing that ignoring these demands could leave officials directly responsible for the Green Falcons’ results in the coming period, whether positive or negative.
In a related context, Al-Faraj called for a comprehensive assessment of the experience of takeovers and the centralisation of contracts, as well as the extent to which the use of foreign expertise has impacted the development of the league, national teams and referees, demanding that this study be realistic and objective in the interests of Saudi football.
He concluded his remarks by expressing concern over the club’s situation, emphasising its lack of team spirit and its well-known identity, noting that the significant decline following the successful 2025 season reflects accumulated administrative, financial and technical errors, and hoping for the return of “Al-Amid” to its usual standard and the restoration of its character on the pitch.
The Public Investment Fund acquired Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, effective from the 2023–2024 season, as part of a comprehensive development project for Saudi football, aimed at improving the clubs’ administrative and financial efficiency and enhancing their ability to attract leading international stars, thereby contributing to increased competitiveness and raising the league’s market value.