Saudi Arabia’s enormous investment in everything from football to snowboarding has been one of sport’s major themes in the last decade.

The oil-rich Gulf state offered astronomical wages to footballers in the twilight of their careers, won the right to host football’s World Cup after developing strong ties with FIFA, bought a Premier League club, split the golf world and sought to host all manner of events, from snooker, through women’s tennis to wrestling.

The splurge was tied to the country’s recently adjusted Vision 2030, a strategy to diversify its interests away from oil, and is widely considered to be a form of sportswashing, by which a country uses sports to distract from allegations of human rights abuses. 

Which sports has Saudi Arabia withdrawn from?

The most high-profile withdrawal came in golf last week. LIV Golf, operated by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), an arm of the state, was canned, with PIF noting that the “substantial investment” required by the event over a longer term is “no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF’s investment strategy.” Founded in 2021, LIV split away from the established PGA Tour and tempted away some of its top players with huge pay packets. With LIV folding, the passage of those players back to the PGA Tour is a point of some contention.

In football, the PIF sold a 70% stake in Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in April, framing it as a “strategy to maximize returns and redeploy capital within the domestic economy.” The PIF has made no move to sell English club Newcastle United and appears to want to keep up some investment in football ahead of hosting the 2034 World Cup. Other popular sports, such as MMA, appear on safer ground for now too.

But several events originally scheduled for the kingdom will no longer be held there. Snooker’s Saudi Arabia Masters was canceled last week, two years into a 10-year deal; the women’s tennis association (WTA) has had funding pulled and a season-ending event struck off; and Saudi Arabia has abandoned plans to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup and the Asian Winter Games in 2029.

Why is Saudi Arabia stopping investment in sports?

The reasons appear to be both economic and political. Last week, PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan said it was “reviewing its investments and deals” and “reassessing its priorities” as a result of the fallout of the US-Israel war on Iran in the Midde East as well as minimal returns on sporting investment.

“The 2026-30 strategy marks a natural evolution as PIF moves from a period of rapid growth and acceleration to a new phase of sustained value creation, with a strengthened focus on maximising impact, raising the efficiency of investments, and applying the highest standards of governance, transparency and institutional excellence,” the PIF said in a press release.

As is the Saudi style, al-Rumayyan is also the chair of Newcastle, Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco and its largest mining company, Ma’aden. He is a close ally of Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These sorts of intertwined jobs and relaltionships help the government keep control of their sporting assets, while Aramco are also a sponsor of multiple high-profile sporting events. Such widespread and diverse investment makes unpicking Saudi Arabia’s relationship with sport tricky.

Why has Saudi Arabia’s investment in sports been controversial?

Human Rights Watch (HRW), in line with most other rights organizations, sees it as a clear case of sportswashing.

“PIF investments in high-profile sports and entertainment events domestically and internationally are used to whitewash the country’s abysmal human rights record,” according to HRW.

While there has been some dissent across the sporting world, Saudi money has been able to move quite freely in most sports. In football, Saudi Arabia has had to develop a close relationship with global governing body FIFA, but other more cash-strapped sports have found it impossible to resist the financial lure. Critics have sometimes argued this leaves many sports in a precarious position should the Saudi cash tap be turned off, as is happening now.

 What other sports could be in danger of losing Saudi funding?

Formula One may be looking over its shoulder, with the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix canceled in April as a result of the war in Iran. As well as the race, the PIF has a stake in two teams and Aramco is a major F1 sponsor. Horse racing, chess, handball and many other sports are also reliant to some degree on a sporting relationship with Saudi Arabia.

From the noises made by the PIF it seems that these, and other sports running on Saudi investment will need to show a profitability that they haven’t before if they are to escape becoming the next LIV Golf.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

The Detroit Lions may have found one of the biggest steals of the 2026 NFL Draft.

While much of the attention has centered on early-round picks, fifth-round selection Keith Abney is already turning heads with both his mindset and his versatility. And if you ask him, there is no better place for his NFL journey to begin.

Detroit Lions rookie embracing opportunity

For Abney, getting drafted by Detroit was more than just a career milestone. It was personal.

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“Man, the wait don’t even matter, man. I’m just, I’m glad to be a Lion,” Abney said as quoted by Lions OnSI. “It means everything. A great program, great culture, great coaches, great people around. I’m just blessed to be here. I’m feeling all the emotions, man. Dropped a couple of tears. It is a dream come true.”

That kind of emotion speaks to how much the moment meant.

Now, the focus shifts to what comes next.

Keith Abney brings versatility to Detroit Lions secondary

One of the biggest reasons the Lions were drawn to Abney is his ability to play multiple positions in the defensive backfield.

At Arizona State, he primarily lined up on the outside, but his experience goes far beyond that.

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“I’m willing to play anything. I view myself as very versatile,” Abney explained. “I just never got to play nickel at ASU, just because of just the depth we had. I was actually the starting nickel going into my sophomore year, and then I had a guy on the outside transfer out, so I had to move back to the outside. And then this year, we had a couple of injuries, so I had to just stay outside so we can get elite play on the outside.”

He made it clear that he is comfortable anywhere in the secondary.

“But it’s been a couple of times (where) coach said, like, ‘Hey, if he goes down, you got to go in.’ So, I know all the positions on the back end, and I have no problem playing inside or outside.”

That flexibility could allow him to contribute right away.

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Production and instincts stand out

Abney’s college production backs up the confidence.

Over three seasons at Arizona State, he recorded six interceptions. His 2025 campaign was particularly strong, as he tied for the team lead with two interceptions and added two forced fumbles.

He also led all Sun Devils defenders with 12 passes defensed.

Those numbers, combined with his physical style, helped him earn first-team All-Big 12 honors and an 86.3 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Still, Abney believes his biggest strength goes beyond the stat sheet.

“That’s something I pride myself on, just being a smart player, being able to watch a lot of film and understand concepts and understand formations and pick up on tendencies,” Abney said. “I say that’s my best attribute, and my feet, of course, got great feet, and my toughness. That’s why I love this fit. This is a perfect fit. I feel like it’s a tough team that I’m joining, and I feel I’m going to fit right in.”

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Detroit Lions rookie focused on winning

Even with the excitement of being drafted, Abney’s mindset is already aligned with Detroit’s identity.

Winning comes first.

“I just want to win games,” he said. “If it takes me to play nickel to win games, that’s what we’re going to do. Outside, safety, anything, I just want to win. So, whatever coach’s plan is to put the team in (the) best position to win. I’m willing to do anything, willing to play any role.”

That mentality fits perfectly with what the Lions have built under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.

Charlotte Flair recently claimed that her current rivals in WWE have a bright future in the company. The veteran is on the SmackDown roster and is in an alliance with Alexa Bliss.

Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid are known as the Fatal Influence faction in WWE. The trio was recently called up to the main roster and has already made an impact on SmackDown.

Speaking on ESPN’s First Take, Charlotte Flair praised Fatal Influence and suggested that they were destined to become major stars on the promotion’s main roster.

“So here’s the thing, nobody likes to lose even if it’s a three on one scenario. But I think Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley have a extremely bright future. But being that I’m a 14 time women’s champion, I have lost 13 times. So I’ve come back stronger every time and we either we win or we lose or we either we win or we learn. So that’s the thing,” she said. (H/T: Fightful on X)

You can check out the veteran’s full appearance on First Take in the video below:

Jacy Jayne defeated Charlotte Flair in a singles match this past Friday on SmackDown. Flair and Alexa Bliss also came up short in the Fatal 4-Way match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships at WWE WrestleMania 42.

Paige replaced an injured Nikki Bella at The Show of Shows and won the Women’s Tag Team Championships at The Show of Shows. Brie Bella and Paige successfully defended the titles against Lash Legend and Nia Jax last week on the blue brand.

Major WWE star discusses her relationship with Charlotte Flair

Becky Lynch recently commented on her relationship with Charlotte Flair and noted that trying to get a top spot in WWE negatively impacted their friendship.

In an interview with Vulture, the Women’s Intercontinental Champion noted that striving for success impacted her friendship with Flair, but added that it was the nature of the wrestling business.

“Yeah, badly. Yeah, poorly, poorly. And look, I suppose that as well, the business, you know, and you’ve got two very competitive women who want to be at the top of the industry,” Lynch said.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Fatal Influence in the promotion.