Mo Islam, host of the leading The Mo Show and confirmed MC of WFS Riyadh for the second consecutive year, believes this year’s edition will be the most significant yet — reflecting the rapid transformation of Saudi football one year after the Kingdom secured hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
“Last year, I was impressed not just by the number of people, but the who’s who,” Mo recalls. “The Deputy Minister of Sports was there, the CEO of the league was there, and big-time personnel from the international world. I have this gut feeling that this year it’s going to be bigger. I’m anticipating bigger names, more football, some announcements happening, because the space is hot. The league is in a better position as well.”
Mo, known for interviewing key figures driving Saudi Arabia’s transformation, spoke to WFS ahead of the event on December 10-11 at Misk City’s Malfa Hall, which will gather over 2,500 industry professionals from 80+ countries.
December 11, 2025 — the second day of WFS Riyadh — marks exactly one year since Saudi Arabia was awarded the 2034 FIFA World Cup. For Mo, what’s happened since goes beyond rhetoric. “Getting the World Cup showed us that whatever investments we made we actually leave with something,” he explains. “Nine years from now, we’re going to host the biggest event in the world on home soil. So projects are underway.”
Saudi Arabia targetting Top-4 in 2034 World Cup
He points to concrete infrastructure developments: the Aramco stadium in the Eastern Province; the Jeddah Downtown Stadium taking visible shape; King Fahad Stadium undergoing transformation. But Mo also highlights shifts in the domestic league structure that often go unnoticed internationally: “The commercialization of the league has been phenomenal,” he notes. “Pretty much every team now has their own stadium or is working towards one. In our growing up years, that was not the case.”
He also sees the impact in how the league has evolved through international talent acquisition: “Standards go up when you bring talent from outside. The league is really exciting to watch today.”
Mo believes the real priority now for the Ministry of Sports is building a competitive national team capable of delivering results at the 2034 World Cup. “I think the target here is the semifinals. They’re not just looking to not be embarrassed, not just to make it to the top-16, but to actually compete at the highest level,” he said.
Mo highlights the work being done at Mahad Academy, developing 13-15 year-olds who will represent Saudi Arabia in 2034, as critical to achieving these ambitions.
The transformation Islam describes will be the focus of WFS Riyadh 2025, where regional and global industry leaders will take the stage to discuss governance and leadership, infrastructure and investment 2034, talent development, commercialization and media rights, fan engagement, and the role of technology in shaping the game’s future.
Confirmed speakers include: Adlene Guedioura (Slane LLC), James Bisgrove (CEO, Al Qadsiah), Esteve Calzada (CEO, Al Hilal), David Dwinger (President, Estrella Football Group), Ben Harburg (Owner, Al-Kholood Club), Olek Loewenstein (Global President of Sports, Televisa Univision), Omar Mugharbel (CEO, Saudi Pro League), Magda Pozzo (CCO, Udinese), Ralf Reichert (CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation), Javier Tebas (President, LALIGA), and Mohammed Wasfy (CEO, Right to Dream Egypt & FC Masar), among others.