Amid LIV Golf/F1 turmoil, one Middle East sporting event staying the course
LIV Golf was scheduled to debut in New Orleans in June, but that event has been postponed, according to multiple reports this week. The news follows an interview in which CEO Scot O’Neil said the Saudi-backed golf tour was only funded “until the end of the year.”
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix were canceled due to the armed conflict and escalating rhetoric between Iran and the United States. The war follows no timetable, calling into question the viability of further events in the region in 2026.
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It is in this context that the future of another Saudi sporting innovation lies: the esports World Cup. Scheduled for July 7 to August 23 in Riyadh, the event is entering its third year.
The qualifications are progressing. As of April 29, 166 of the tournament’s 689 spots have been clinched, according to the EWC website.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, told The Big Lead there is no “deadline” for whether the World Cup will need to move to plan B.
MORE: Iran conflict immediately wipes out Middle East sporting event
“We are confident in hosting the Esports World Cup in Riyadh,” Reichert said.
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That said, he is aware of the need for a plan B in case the regional conflict persists.
Compared to a car race or golf tournament, Reichert said, “For players and fans, it’s probably easier for an esports tournament to have a contingency plan. We’ve had that since day one.”
As for the financial concerns that have threatened LIV Golf’s existence, Reichert notes that the Esports Foundation is a non-profit organization. LIV Golf, on the other hand, is a commercial venture launched by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
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“We are partly self-sustaining at this point,” Reichert said. “We already have significant revenue streams. It’s a different setup, it’s a different market and it’s a different state of maturity.”
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The EWC is also a unique new event that faces no competition analogous to the way the PGA Tour can pilfer talent from LIV Golf.
The same can be said for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup scheduled for November 26 – a calendar date that presents less threat of postponement. This event will be organized around players representing their respective countries, rather than crowning a winner among for-profit teams competing in different esports events, like the World Cup.
This is an entirely different organizational challenge, but Reichert is confident it can be a success in the first year. And his optimism about maintaining the July 7 start date for the World Cup is not blind.
“If you’re on the ground in Riyadh, life is completely normal,” Reichert said. “It’s business as usual. There’s total normalcy, to be honest, whereas honestly, travel is partly impacted.”
