Last Friday, I left Manchester, headed for Riyadh, and arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning. It was my first time in Saudi Arabia, and I was buzzing to explore. Grabbing my rental car, I quickly learnt that driving here is an extreme sport in itself (think Mario Karts on Turbo Mode).
Still, the vibe was immediately captivating: hospitable, vibrant, and full of curiosity for what lay ahead.
The World Football Summit opened today with a bang. Imagine this: 2,000 attendees from 77 countries all gathered to talk football and the business that powers it. The opening ceremony kicked off with a bold statement from Sultan Althari:
“Welcome to the Saudi sports renaissance.” It’s clear the ambition is sky-high, with Althari hinting at Saudi Arabia being days away from securing the 2034 World Cup, reportedly with the most votes ever. Subtle flex.
Content creators, TikTok, and women’s football
The first session I attended tackled empowering creators and women’s football through TikTok. Mohammed Hesham Muharram shared his journey of trying (and failing) at different formats before striking gold. He found his viral moment interviewing Ronaldo (the real one) about his iconic 2002 haircut. I never knew this, but R9 did that haircut to make the press talk about something other than his form. Unreal.
Budreya Al Faisal’s story was even more inspiring. Frustrated by the lack of women’s clubs in Dubai with Arab names, she founded Banaat FC in just 26 days. Her use of TikTok catapulted the club into the spotlight, landing Nike as a technical partner—the only women’s team in their league with this honour. She credits TikTok’s support for the club’s growth and global recognition.
Disrupting fan engagement (with a Side of Reality TV)
Moammar Alhammad from Al Balad FC explained how their storytelling evolves constantly, drawing a parallel to how filmmaking has changed over decades. His club uses a reality TV-style YouTube series to engage with fans daily, building a global fanbase by letting them into the players’ lives. The lesson? If you’re not adapting your story, you’re already falling behind.
Youth, Gen Z, and football’s future
After lunch (disappointingly kebab-free, much to my dismay), I attended a panel about football’s “youth problem” and whether Gen Z is actually disengaged—or just consuming football differently.
Dave Lipp from Manchester United shared their genius kit-launch strategy: giving Aitch the home kit to wear on stage at Glastonbury before its official reveal. Viral chaos ensued, but it was all part of the plan. He also emphasised the importance of a universal fan ID, blending digital engagement with real-world rewards in the future.
Ross Munro of WSC Sports brought the tech edge, explaining how AI now enables instant content distribution for players to post right after matches. Even more ground-breaking, leagues like La Liga are giving YouTubers access to official match footage because their reach often exceeds that of the clubs themselves.
Monika Staab of SAFF reminded everyone of the golden rule: fans crave behind-the-scenes content. Give them a peek behind the curtain, and they’ll keep coming back.
Trends, tech, and rotating seats
The conversation about Gen Z continued in the next session, where Kike Levy explained that today’s fans often follow players over clubs. He highlighted how athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo now dwarf their clubs in followers. He also predicted that AI, AR, VR, and wearables will dominate the next decade of sports engagement.
And then Glenn Hoddle (yes, THE Glenn Hoddle) finished the day with his futuristic vision for stadium seating: fans in movable chairs rotating around the stadium on tracks to get every angle of the action. Wild, right? His company, C360, is pioneering this concept, which may be the most “Black Mirror”-esque thing I heard all day.
Wrapping up (and winding down)
After a packed day of panels, networking, and a quick catch-up with former Aston Villa chairman Keith Wyness (who I’ll conveniently be flying home with), I need food, sleep, and maybe catching a bit of the Al Nassr game in the Asian Champions League. But with Cristiano Ronaldo out of the line-up, I might just follow my inner Gen Z instincts and dip early for dinner.
Tomorrow promises another full day, so keep an eye out for blog number 2, where I’ll share even more insights from the summit and discuss how the future of football is shaping up.
