Despite returning to training, Brazilian star Neymar’s return to play for Al-Hilal remains uncertain. Coach Jorge Jesus has stated that while Neymar is an important player, a return date is yet to be determined. Neymar’s return is expected in January, when he will be eligible to be registered for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season.
Joao Cancelo made an immediate impact for Al-Hilal, scoring his first goal for the Saudi Arabian club in a 3-1 victory over Al-Rayyan in the Asian Champions League. The match saw goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Marcos Leonardo for Al-Hilal, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr drew 1-1 in their opening game. Meanwhile, other matches in the tournament saw dominant performances from South Korean and Chinese teams.
flynas, a leading low-cost airline, has signed a major sponsorship agreement with Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia’s most successful football club. This partnership will see flynas become the official airline of Al-Hilal for the next four seasons, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 to boost tourism and sports industry growth.
Joao Cancelo, the Portuguese defender for Manchester City, has moved to the Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal. The 30-year-old joins after winning three Premier League titles with City and a loan spell with Barcelona. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal’s defender Saud Abdulhamid has joined AS Roma, marking a significant transfer in Serie A.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup, despite Ronaldo scoring the opening goal. Al-Hilal rallied in the second half with four goals in a 17-minute span, including two from former Newcastle and Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrović.
The AFC Champions League Elite draw, featuring a new league format, will take place on August 16 in Kuala Lumpur. The draw will see teams like Al Nassr, Al Hilal, and Al Ain FC competing in two leagues of 12 teams each. The tournament is set to begin on September 16, 2024.
Al-Hilal, the defending champions, aim to widen their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League when they host Al Fateh on Friday. Al-Hilal, who boast an impressive 18 league titles, currently sit nine points clear at the summit, while Al Fateh occupy sixth place. Despite a setback in the AFC Champions League, Al-Hilal remain eager to secure a domestic treble this season, including the league title, King’s Cup, and Super Cup they have already won. Al Fateh, on the other hand, are looking to consolidate their position in the top half of the table and have shown decent form in recent matches.
UAE’s Al-Ain has advanced to the final of the Asian Champions League after overcoming Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia with a 5-4 aggregate victory in the semifinals. Despite Al-Hilal’s 2-1 victory in the second leg, they were unable to overturn the 4-2 deficit from the first leg, marking the fourth Saudi Pro League club to be eliminated from the knockout stages since February.
In a highly anticipated AFC Champions League semi-final match, Al Hilal supporters are preparing a satirical tifo to mock Al Nassr’s star player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The tifo will depict Ronaldo wearing Al Hilal’s colors, inspired by a similar tifo displayed by Al Nassr. This rivalry stems from the intense competition between these two top teams in the Saudi Pro League. Despite trailing Al Ain 4-2 in the semi-finals, Al Hilal hopes to secure a dramatic comeback in the Kingdom Arena. The winner of this match will face either Ulsan HD FC or Yokohoma FM in the AFC Champions League final.
