MLS get help from Saudi Arabia on how to become competitive

This Monday marked a historic moment in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, as Al Hilal eliminated Manchester City to secure a surprise spot in the quarter-finals. Simone Inzaghi’s side triumphed over Pep Guardiola’s squad in a thrilling clash, placing the Saudi club among the top eight teams in the world.

Al Hilal’s starting eleven was packed with players who recently competed in Europe, are performing at a high level, and executed the Italian coach’s game plan to perfection. As a result, the Saudi Pro League giants have advanced to the next round of FIFA’s first expanded edition of the tournament. Their next opponent: Fluminense.

Inzaghi’s lineup featured stars such as Yassine Bono, Kalidou Koulibaly, João Cancelo, Renan Lodi, Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Malcom, and Marcos Leonardo. However, they were without Aleksandar Mitrović, and in their final group-stage match against Pachuca, they lost captain Salem Al-Dawsari to a hamstring injury.

This situation highlights a potential vulnerability for Major League Soccer, especially regarding its player acquisition rules. Inter Miami — the furthest advancing MLS team in the tournament — relies heavily on just four key players: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.

The Fort Lauderdale club currently operates under the U22 Initiative, which allows for two Designated Players — in this case, Messi and Busquets. This model enables teams to sign up to four young talents under the age of 22 (or who joined while under that age) and provides an additional $2 million in general allocation funds to help promote youth development.

While this scheme may allow Inter Miami to fit Suárez and Alba into its MLS roster more easily, it also illustrates the gap on the international stage. Compared to Al Hilal, Inter Miami significantly trails in terms of squad market value and, consequently, the caliber of talent it can acquire.

According to Transfermarkt, Al Hilal’s squad is currently valued at $181 million, while Inter Miami’s is worth just $77.9 million. Combined with the high-level coaching of Simone Inzaghi, these resources have helped Al Hilal achieve a better result than any American club at the FIFA Club World Cup.