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The Saudi league, which is largely bankrolled
by the government's Public Investment Fund (PIF), has seen its
international profile rise considerably since Cristiano Ronaldo
began playing for Al Nassr in January on a contract that made
him the highest paid athlete in the world.
"I believe that emerging leagues in emerging markets, having
energy and having investment and creating noise is a positive,"
Garber told reporters ahead Wednesday's MLS All-Star game in
Washington.
"For many years, we were that challenging league and we're in a
different spot than we were in the past.
"I don't look at that as a threat in any way to Major League
Soccer. I actually think it's positive for the sport. I wish
them well."
Garber said he hopes an MLS club will get the chance to play a
Saudi team at the Club World Cup, which will be held in the U.S.
in 2025.
Garber likened the growth of the Saudi Pro League to the rise of
CONCACAF, which brings together North American, Central American
and Caribbean nations.
"I am a supporter of CONCACAF. I have seen the energy and
investment that's gone into this part of the world.
"I want to see the rest of the world being a big part of the
soccer family – whether that's in Saudi Arabia or whether it's
in Asia, whether it's in the emerging professionalism of some of
the leagues in South America."
Saudi Arabia's PIF has poured hundreds of million into
international sports like golf and Formula One in recent years.
Critics have accused Saudi Arabia of using the PIF to engage in
"sportwashing" in the face of heavy criticism of the country's
human rights record.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Toby
Davis)
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