Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent photo with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, published as part of the Saudi Founding Day celebrations, was not just an innocent snapshot. It was another calculated move in the kingdom’s relentless campaign to polish its global image and present itself as a progressive, modern state. This was not just a picture—it was a continuation of Saudi Arabia’s long-standing strategy of using sports icons, global events, and lavish festivities to divert attention from its ongoing human rights abuses. While the world watches these carefully curated celebrations, Saudi prisons remain filled with political detainees, repression remains the norm, and freedom of expression is nothing more than a distant dream.
Saudi Arabia has long relied on sportswashing as a key tool to reshape its global reputation, pouring billions into securing high-profile athletes like Ronaldo, hosting major tournaments, winning the bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and positioning itself as an international hub for sports, entertainment, and culture. Yet, this manufactured spectacle cannot conceal the harsh realities on the ground. Political repression continues, heavy censorship stifles independent voices, arbitrary arrests remain widespread, and fair trials are virtually non-existent. How can a country claim to be open and modern when its citizens are imprisoned for merely expressing an opinion? How can it speak of progress when public criticism is met with brutal retaliation?
No amount of sports investments, cultural festivals, or international events can erase the deep contradictions between Saudi Arabia’s self-constructed image and its bleak human rights record. What is the point of hosting the World Cup, attracting the world’s biggest names in sports and music, or building extravagant entertainment districts if Saudi citizens still lack fundamental freedoms? What good is this so-called modernization if expressing one’s views can lead to imprisonment? What value does this carefully polished image hold if the regime continues to rule through fear and repression?
The world must not be deceived by this orchestrated PR campaign. Sporting events, high-profile concerts, and international stars must not become tools to distract from Saudi Arabia’s continued oppression. Neither Ronaldo’s presence nor the World Cup, nor multimillion-dollar sports deals can erase the kingdom’s disgraceful human rights record. No global event should serve as a smokescreen for a regime that continues to silence dissent, whether behind prison bars or under the floodlights of its newly built stadiums.
If Saudi Arabia is truly serious about reform, it must start where it matters most: by respecting human dignity, releasing political prisoners, ending systematic repression, and guaranteeing real freedom of expression. Until then, all its sportswashing efforts will remain nothing more than a desperate attempt to conceal an undeniable reality—despite billions spent on rebranding, Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s most oppressive regimes.