PIF Becomes Main Sponsor of Club World Cup, Cementing Saudi Grip on Global Football


The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup now has its main sponsor: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). As reported by Inside World Football, the tournament’s financial backbone is being underwritten by Saudi money, further tightening the kingdom’s influence over global football as it backs the expanded 32-team format.
The sponsorship comes on the heels of DAZN acquiring Club World Cup broadcast rights in a $1 billion deal, shortly after receiving an identical $1 billion investment from PIF. While no exact figure has been disclosed for this latest partnership, FIFA described it using vague, well-worn language about “youth engagement” and “global participation,” with no concrete activation plans or commercial goals tied to the investment.
Saudi Arabia, already confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup and widely expected to stage the 2029 Club World Cup, has shown unrelenting support for a tournament the rest of the football world has largely ignored. The PIF’s sponsorship appears less a strategic investment and more a blank check that rescues FIFA from embarrassment.
FIFA, under Gianni Infantino’s leadership, increasingly relies on opaque deals that prioritize control and revenue over connection with the sport’s global fanbase. The risk is that football, like golf under similar Saudi influence, begins to fracture — with elite competitions losing meaning and public trust.
While PIF may see this as a route to soft power and international stature, critics warn that such unchecked financial patronage could ultimately backfire. FIFA’s detachment from the grassroots game continues to grow, and its relevance may already be diminishing — a troubling prospect for a sport built on global, communal passion.










