Saudi clubs to have a ‘Wildcard’ into the UEFA Champions League from 2024?

Saudi Arabia is looking to shake up European football by proposing a 'Wildcard' entry into the UEFA Champions League in 2024.

According to the Italian national newspaper 'Corriere dello Sport,' Saudi Pro League clubs want to be allowed entry into the newly expanded Champions League next season.

The four clubs backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund are in the process of creating a proposal that would see the Saudi Pro League winners in the European Cup.

The league has seen an almighty rise to the top of global football, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar all joining the Saudi Pro League.

If the groundbreaking proposal is to be accepted, it could potentially see the return of these football icons on the biggest stage in world football.

The Saudi clubs have seen an opportunity to join the Champions League because of plans to add four teams from 32 to 36 clubs.

Instead of the current 32-team group stage, UEFA plan to create a singular 36-team league, with the teams at the top progressing into the knockout stages.

With their new star-studded league and some of the best players in the world, Saudi Arabia has an advantage in trying to influence UEFA in letting them have a wild card.

The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club football tournament in the world, bringing in nearly $4 billion in revenue, with around 400 million viewers watching the final alone.

If the proposal goes ahead, the revenue and viewers would step up massively for the Saudi Pro League, giving them a new global profile in the sport.

So far, the Saudi Pro League has invested heavily, with no real return on investment. However, Champions League revenue could change that significantly.

The access to the Champions League would make the Saudi Pro League more lucrative for other star players to move to the Middle East, potentially revamping the landscape of global football.

The signings the league has made in the past 12 months could prove to be a bargaining chip with UEFA, knowing the players they have will bring more lucrative sponsorship and television deals.

Even without Ronaldo, Benzema, and Neymar, European football still has superstars to appeal to a mass audience.

As we have seen with Saudi-backed clubs and players moving to Saudi Arabia, there will likely be a kickback from European nations, who won't want Saudi clubs in a European competition.

Joining the UEFA would mean Saudi Arabia would have to meet UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations, ending the spending spree that has caused a storm in football for the last year.