Who are Al Hilal?

Al Hilal are Saudi Arabia's representatives at the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States and here you can read all about them ahead of the tournament.

Where are Al Hilal from?

Al Hilal are a professional Saudi Arabian club based in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.

History

Al Hilal were founded in October 1957, originally as Olympic Club, and are one of just three teams to have played in every single season of the Saudi Pro League since its inception in 1976.

They are the most successful club in Asia, winning 70 trophies, and have been Saudi Arabian league champions a record 19 times.

Domestically, they have also won a record 13 Crown Prince Cup titles down the years, a record seven Saudi Federation Cup titles, 11 King Cup titles and a record five Super Cup titles.

Al-Hilal are also the eight-time record winners of the Asian Football Confederation - last won in 2021 - and were also Asian Cup Winners Cup in 1997 and 2002.

Al Hilal have always been one of the dominant clubs in Saudi Arabia and in Asia overall but in recent years they have enjoyed a higher profile internationally due to the exposure of the Saudi Pro League and the global stars the wealthy league has managed to attract.

They have previously played in the FIFA Club World Cup several times and were runners-up in the 2022 edition.

Their growing status has been highlighted in recent days by the acquisition of experienced Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, who has been appointed after his departure from Inter Milan after leading them to the Serie A title 12 months ago and the UEFA Champions League final last month.

Nickname

Al Hilal's main nickname is Al-Za'eem (The Boss), but they are also sometimes referred to as the Blue Waves or Blue Power as well as Asia's century club.

Notable Players

Current Players

Among Al Hilal's current crop of players are several high-profile European stars, including former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves and ex-Fulham frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic.

They also have the likes of experienced former Chelsea and Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly to call upon, Serbia star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and ex-Barcelona winger Malcom, a Brazil international in their squad ahead of the Club World Cup.

Former Players

During their success in 1970s, Al Hilal were able to attract players from outside Saudi Arabia to join the club, including Brazilian legends Mario Zagallo and Rivellino, while homegrown talents like playermaker Yousuf Al-Thunayan and prolific forward Sami Al-Jaber shone in the 1980s.

More recently, as the club and league continued to prosper, South Korean right back Lee Young-pyo, Romanian midfielder Mirel Radoi, Swedish winger Christian Wilhelmsson and Brazilian attacking midfielder Thiago Neves all featured for the club before the influx of even bigger stars in the past few years.

In 2018, Bafetimbi Gomis, Andre Carrillo and Sebastian Giovinco all arrived when Al Hilal were managed by renoweed Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, but Brazilian superstar Neymar's decision to join the club in the summer of 2023 made headline news around the world.

Neymar made the lucrative switch when joining from Paris Saint-Germain for what was then a record breaking Saudi Pro League fee of 90 million euros plus add-ons, but his time at Al Hilal was wrecked by injuries and he was allowed to depart in January after scoring just one goal and registering three assists in only seven appearances in total.

How did Al Hilal qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup?

Al Hilal are in the Club World Cup thanks to winning the AFC Champions League in 2021, when they saw off Korean side Pohang Steelers 2-0 in the final.

This will be the fourth time since 2019 they have taken part in the competition.

Al Hilal Club World Cup group

• Group H
• Real Madrid
• Al Hilal
• Pachuca
• RB Salzburg