In one of the most shocking and controversial statements in recent football history, Mohammed Al Saud – a Saudi prince, member of the royal family, and since 2025 chairman of the all-powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF) – announced on February 5, 2026, in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya News, his formal intention to buy FC Barcelona. The 42-year-old executive’s remarks reverberated like thunder throughout the football world.

“I’m prepared to pay whatever it takes,” he declared without hesitation. “Take me to Barça and I’ll make this team a global football legend: not just another competitor, but the dominant force for the next two decades. We’re prepared to invest over €4.5 billion in the acquisition alone and the immediate modernization of the infrastructure. Add to that at least another €2.8 billion over the next five years, allocated exclusively to transfers, the academy, women’s football, and global commercial expansion.”

This figure – over €4.5 billion for the purchase – would far surpass the £4.25 billion (approximately €5 billion) that the PIF paid in 2021 for Newcastle United, making it the most expensive club acquisition in the history of the sport. Joan Laporta and the current Barça board have repeatedly stated that the club is not for sale. However, Al Saud’s public declaration has triggered a storm of speculation, division, and in-depth analysis in Catalonia, Spain, and around the world.

During the 22-minute interview, the Saudi prince detailed an ambitious master plan to transform Barça into an unprecedented superpower:

An immediate fund of €1.2 billion for the summer 2026 and January 2027 transfer windows, with the objective of recruiting “five or six players of the absolute world elite.” Names already circulating in Riyadh include: Kylian Mbappé (if a door opens), Erling Haaland (via a clause or negotiation), Jude Bellingham, Florian Wirtz, Rafael Leão, and a world-class center-back to partner Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araújo.

A complete reconstruction of the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper and the creation of a “Barcelona Future Campus” valued at €700 million, inspired by Manchester City Football Academy and the new facilities of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. Massive investment in women’s football with the aim of winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League in less than three years and making Barça Femení the most dominant team on the planet.

A global network of elite academies in Riyadh, Dubai, Singapore, New York, São Paulo, and Lagos, with the goal of producing between 40 and 50 top-level players per decade. Aggressive commercial expansion: strategic agreements with Aramco, Saudi Telecom, Savola, and other Gulf brands; strengthening the Barça brand in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific; the goal of becoming the most-followed European club on social media in the Arab region and Southeast Asia by 2032.

When asked why Barcelona in particular, Al Saud replied with crystal clarity: “Barça has the richest history, the most passionate and loyal fans in the world, an iconic stadium, and a unique identity.” The only thing it lacks is unlimited ambition and unlimited resources. Newcastle has shown in five years what the PIF can achieve. “Imagine what we could do with Barça in the next decade.”

The reaction in Catalonia and Spain was immediate and polarized. Thousands of Barcelona fans flooded social media with memes celebrating the end of “Laporta resign” chants and dreaming of a project capable of regaining European supremacy. However, a very significant portion of the supporters – particularly the most pro-independence factions and the ultra groups – categorically rejected the idea of ​​Saudi ownership. “We don’t want sportswashing or an absolute monarchy at Camp Nou,” read a banner displayed outside the stadium during the following match.

Human rights organizations and several Catalan and Spanish political parties have called for a “deep reflection” on state investment in iconic clubs.

The League and the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) are on high alert. Economic control rules and the owner suitability test have been significantly strengthened since the Newcastle affair. Any formal offer from a Saudi sovereign wealth fund would trigger months of exhaustive audits, examination of the origin of funds, human rights assessments, and potential intervention by the Spanish government under the guise of “national interest.”

FC Barcelona issued a brief statement a few hours after the interview: “FC Barcelona is not for sale. We are proud of our independence, our partnership structure, and our management model. No speculation will change our commitment to the future of the club.” Internal sources insist that the board is “concerned but not alarmed,” even though they acknowledge that informal contacts have existed from Saudi Arabia since late 2025.

Among the scenarios under consideration are: a direct purchase (unlikely due to resistance from partners), a preliminary minority stake of 24.9% (similar to what has happened at other clubs), or simply a pressure tactic to force current minority shareholders (Adidas, Nike, Spotify, etc.) to inject more capital.

What no one disputes is that Mohammed Al Saud has placed FC Barcelona at the center of the biggest power struggle the club has seen in its modern history. Whatever the outcome—royal takeover, outright rejection, or endless negotiations—the Saudi prince’s declaration has already changed the game: Barça is once again the center of the global football universe, albeit for the most controversial reasons imaginable. The football world is holding its breath.

And Mohammed Al Saud has already moved the first piece on a chessboard that no one expected.