ATLANTA — Despite the Gulf countries' massive financial investments in soccer, their performances in the World Cup remain underwhelming. Saudi Arabia's recent heavy defeat to Spain highlights the region's struggle to translate domestic league enhancements into global competition success. The United Arab Emirates didn't even qualify for the tournament, Qatar suffered a humiliating defeat, and Saudi Arabia's future in the competition hangs by a thread.

The influx of billions into soccer, especially by Saudi Arabia, aimed to leverage the sport for soft power gains—boosting reputation, tourism, investment, and global relevance. “The Saudis are using football to speed up soft power that would normally take decades to build," a business consultant familiar with Riyadh's commercial strategy explained, preferring anonymity.

Notably, the strategy involves recruiting global soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema to elevate their domestic league's profile. However, Saudi Arabia's significant loss against Spain showcased the gap that still exists on the international stage. Saudi team manager Georgios Donis reflected on the different challenges faced by national teams, emphasizing the need for mental fortitude and experience at that level.

Qatar, despite owning Paris Saint-Germain and beIN Sports, and the UAE, with ties to Manchester City and New York City FC, also struggle to make a mark on the world stage, showing that owning prestigious clubs does not directly enhance national team performance.

Saudi soccer officials are wary of following China's example, where massive spending on big-name players did not translate into national team success and proved economically unsustainable. "The Saudi approach feels more strategic. They are already getting attention and access. The bigger question is whether that becomes long-term credibility," the consultant added.

As Saudi Arabia looks towards hosting the men's World Cup in 2034, authorities remain realistic about the time it takes to build a competitive national team. The hope is that with strategic changes and sustained effort, the Gulf's investment in soccer will eventually pay off, not just in soft power gains but also in credible, competitive performances on the world stage.