Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al Rumayyan was pitchside in New Jersey to play his part in the final World Cup presentations
PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan shakes hands with US President Donald Trump during the award ceremony after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final
PIF governor and Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan shakes hands with US President Donald Trump during the award ceremony after the FIFA World Cup 2026 final (Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
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Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al Rumayyan had a big role in the World Cup closing ceremony after being asked to present classy Spain star Pau Cubarsí with the young player of the tournament award.
The Saudi chief was in New Jersey as PIF and Aramco were one of the main sponsors of the World Cup and sponsored the young player of the tournament award with the build-up to the finals in Saudi Arabia in 2034 also continuing during this summer's competition in the US, Mexico and Canada.
However, the Toon supremo was not just in New Jersey just to take in the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, and Chronicle Live understands a meeting between Newcastle's ownership and CEO David Hopkinson also took place in New York over the weekend.
It was the first face-to-face meeting between Hopkinson and the ownership since the Matfen Hall summit back in April, when the CEO and head coach Eddie Howe were on hand to walk the Toon backers through what had been a disappointing season and the plan to bounce back in 2026/27.
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PIF are still very much committed to the long haul plan at Newcastle but Hopkinson is leading the club on a day to day business, with the Saudi-backers always keen to have a high-powered and high-driven CEO pushing for opportunities at boardroom level.
Newcastle have made three signings so far with Bazoumana Toure, Sean Steur and Ewen Jaouen coming through the door at a cost of around £84.5m but are pushing for more new faces and that was made clear behind the scenes.
Hopkinson is working closely with sporting director Ross Wilson as Newcastle look to close in on signing number four with Man City's £50m stopper James Trafford still high on the priority list, despite the deal being layered with complexities.
After the meeting in New York, Hopkinson was due back on Tyneside today as Newcastle look to ensure Howe has the squad he needs to improve on 12th place last term.
Chronicle Live also understands that Hopkinson's trip will also included meetings with new sponsors KNOX and Adidas plus talks with four prospective new commercial partners.
PIF's presence at the tournament was fixed up ahead of the 2034 World Cup which takes place in Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed AlSayyad, Head of Corporate Brand at PIF, said: "PIF continues to expand its global footprint in sport, with football at the heart of this growth. This partnership builds on our existing FIFA relationship from last year’s FIFA Club World Cup – and our work with Concacaf – to deliver a positive and lasting impact.
"PIF continues to accelerate the growth of football globally by expanding access to the game and creating opportunities that benefit players, fans and the wider football ecosystem."
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