Star Wars in Saudi Arabia officially began with the return of a Jeddah club and a hat trick from Roberto Firmino in front of their home fans in Hollywood.

A free transfer, albeit a very well paid one, stole the spotlight on opening night after a government-funded summer shopping spree sent stars like Karim Benzema, Steven Gerrard, and Jordan Henderson to the middle east to join Cristiano Ronaldo.

The second-tier Al-Ahli defeated the unlucky Al-Hazem, who were not among the four companies acquired by the PIF state fund in June.

Around 25,000 people packed into the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on the outskirts of the coastal city to see Firmino and three other recent Premier League signings—Riyad Mahrez, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Edouard Mendy—make their debuts. Many arrived three hours before the game started, but they did not have to wait long to see the action.

Both Mahrez and Firmino scored in the opening 15 minutes, and fans of the opposing teams (Manchester City and Liverpool) were ecstatic.

The investment and its rationale have been the subject of extensive discussion and analysis. Some have drawn parallels between the Pro League’s extravagant spending and the short-lived Chinese Super League.

However, this was a very different offering than the one in Doha. There was no fake feeling to the crowd energy because football is genuinely popular in Saudi Arabia. There were no clusters of unoccupied seats, either. 

Sweltering in temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, fans rushed the gates as soon as they opened in order to secure their spots in the noisiest area of the nearly sold-out stadium. No central air conditioning was available. They kept shouting, “We are back to cause pain.” The gathering was predominately male, but there were a few ladies interspersed here and there.

Both teams had advanced from the lower division the year before. Their paths since then, however, have diverged greatly. The hosts have been completely changed by the affluence of the sovereign nation.

Al-Ahli’s locker area was a flurry of activity before kickoff. A vast crew of backroom employees swiftly made sure everything, including a giant bowl of fruit, was in place, while the new arrivals’ names were pinned to pegs of freshly pressed shirts.

Down the hall, though, things were quite different. A single worker hung up clothing in the nearly silent visitor’s locker area.