Instead, especially in Saudi Arabia, attendance at live matches is falling, soccer stadiums are in disrepair, and the national team won only one game in this year's Gulf Cup a debacle that led to the ouster of Dutch legend Frank Riijkaard as the Saudi team coach.
It remains to be seen whether United, or indeed any other many English club, comes under Qatari ownership in the near future but, with a World Cup and possible Olympic Games both on the horizon, the tiny gulf state is only going to grow in sporting stature and importance over the next decade.