Cristiano Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr to King Salman Club Cup victory over Al-Hilal

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered Al-Nassr’s first trophy of the season with both goals in an unforgettable 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal. (Twitter/@AlNassrFC)
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Updated 13 August 2023
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Cristiano Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr to King Salman Club Cup victory over Al-Hilal

  • The clash in Abha marks the end of the pre-season preparations for both teams

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo delivered Al-Nassr’s first trophy of the season with both goals in an unforgettable 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal in the final of the King Salman Club Cup on Saturday.

With 15 minutes remaining on the clock and his team a goal and a man down against their bitter Riyadh rivals, the five-time Ballon D’or winner dragged his team into extra-time, victory and then delighted celebrations at the end of over two hours of draining and entertaining football.

The clash in Abha marks the end of the pre-season preparations for both teams who kick off their league campaigns on Monday with Al-Hilal staying in the same city to face Abha and Al-Nassr heading east to take on Ettifaq. Both will take positives from this tournament, previously known as the Arab Club Champions Cup, as well as this encounter.

The first real chance fell to Al-Hilal’s new midfielder Ruben Neves but his smart shot from the edge of the area went just wide of the post, an early warning for the men in Yellow and it looked ominous after six minutes when Salem Al-Dawsari burst through the defense but couldn’t quite keep the ball under control.

After that however, it was Al-Nassr who were on top and should have been ahead at the break and would have been had it not been for Al-Hilal goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais.




Cristiano Ronaldo delivered Al-Nassr’s first trophy of the season with both goals in an unforgettable 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal. (Twitter/@AlNassrFC)

Perhaps the best chance was made by Sadio Mane who sent over a perfect cross from the left for the incoming Abdullah Al-Khaibari, unmarked at the far post. The midfielder seemed to have done everything right with a powerful downward header but Al-Owais pulled off a fantastic one-handed save to somehow keep it out.

The half ended with more good play from Al-Nassr. Seko Fofana curled a dangerous pass through the defence from a central position for Ronaldo at the far post but the Portuguese star could only stretch and divert the ball into the arms of the goalkeeper.

Despite being second best, Al-Hilal took the lead early in the second half with a goal made in Brazil. New signing Malcom raced down to the left byline and chipped the perfect cross back for Michael to launch himself and head past Nawaf Al-Aqidi.

Al-Nassr resumed their attacks, this time with more desperation. Ronaldo had a fierce shot fly just over and Anderson Talisca brought another save from the busy Al-Owais. 

Al-Hilal were, however, starting to disrupt the rhythm of their Riyadh rivals. It got worse with 18 minutes remaining as Abdulelah Al-Amri was red carded, after a video review, for bringing down Malcom. 

Yet just when it seemed as if it was all over, Al-Nassr were level with 15 minutes remaining. For the first time all half, they got behind the defence as Sultan Al-Ghannam burst free down the right and his low cross was perfectly placed for Ronaldo to dart just in front of Al-Owais at the near post to tap home from close range for his fifth goal in successive games.

With five minutes left, Al-Nassr thought they were ahead as Ronaldo beat the defence to score but it was ruled out by VAR. Al-Hilal had been virtually non-existent as an attacking threat since equalising but almost snatched it at the end only for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to head just wide after beating Al-Aqidi to a cross from Neves.

Early in extra-time, Ronaldo looked to have given his team the lead but while his shot from inside the area beat the ‘keeper, Ali Al-Bulaihi intervened with a spectacular clearance. 

No matter, he found the net soon after as he headed home the rebound after a Fofana shot had come back off the bar.  There was still time for Al-Nassr boss Luis Castro, upset at what he saw as rough challenges on his players, to be banished from the bench by the referee.

Al-Hilal threw everything in an attempt to force penalties but Al-Nassr defended resolutely. The headlines though will belong to a certain 38 year-old, who picked up a knock and left the pitch before the end. He looked fine however as he danced around the pitch in delight at the final whistle and hugged team-mates and then lifted the trophy, his first in Saudi Arabia. With Ronaldo in this form and attitude, anything can happen in the coming months.


Al-Hilal storm into Champions League last four

Updated 25 April 2025
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Al-Hilal storm into Champions League last four

  • Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scores first in 7-0 rout of South Korea’s Gwangju
  • Al-Hilal will play domestic rivals Al-Ahli or Thailand’s Buriram United in Tuesday’s semifinal

JEDDAH: Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju FC 7-0 on Friday to ease into the semifinals of the AFC Champions League.
An early goal from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave the Saudi Arabians the lead and they never looked back, much to the delight of their fans in Jeddah.
They were three goals to the good by the break and the second half was even better. On this performance, the four-time champions, who had been in uncertain form in the Saudi Pro League of late, will take some stopping on their quest for a fifth continental crown.
It took just six minutes for the home fans — who provided a fantastic tifo backdrop — to be celebrating. Salem Al-Dawsari swung over a corner and Milinkovic-Savic broke free at the near post to send a perfect header into the far corner.


The South Koreans should have been level just three minutes later. Reis’ pass sent Jasir Asani through on goal. The stadium sat back waiting for the tournament’s top scorer to grab goal No. 10 but his shot was blocked by Yassine Bounou. It turned out to be a turning point in the game because just past the midway point of the first half Hilal extended their lead.
Malcom had space down the right, found Marcos Leonardo on the edge of the six-yard box and his fellow Brazilian made no mistake with his first-time shot.
Leonardo then turned provider. Still inside his own half, he found Al-Dawsari just inside Gwangju’s. The international outpaced the defense, sprinted into the area and found the back of the net with a confident finish.
That seemed to be that and the win was sealed 10 minutes after the break as Aleksandar Mitrovic got in on the act. Fellow Serbian Milinkovic-Savic swung over a cross from the right and there was the striker to attack the bouncing ball and lash it into the bottom corner.
From then it was all about how many the Riyadh giants would score. The fifth came 11 minutes from time. Malcom swapped passes with Mitrovic at the edge of the area and then slipped the ball past the goalkeeper. There was time for two more from two substitutes.
Nasser Al-Dawsari grabbed the sixth and Abdullah Al-Hamdan completed the rout.
Al-Hilal can now sit back and prepare for Tuesday’s semifinal against either domestic rivals Al-Ahli or Thailand’s Buriram United.


Gwangju focused on Al-Hilal’s Saudi contingent in Champions League clash

Updated 24 April 2025
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Gwangju focused on Al-Hilal’s Saudi contingent in Champions League clash

  • Lee Jung-hyo: ‘We know the big name players, we know how they play. We have to keep an eye on Salem Al-Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno or Ali Al-Bulayhi’
  • Jung-hyo: ‘The game will last maybe 100 minutes and this is a showcase for us, to show to the world how we play’

JEDDAH: Al-Hilal’s foreign players have made the Saudi team one of the favorites to lift the Asian Champions League Elite title but Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo has his sights set on the club’s domestic contingent ahead of the quarter-finals on Friday.
The Riyadh-based outfit are aiming for a record-extending fifth continental title when the finals phase of this year’s competition begin in Jeddah with attention largely focused on the expensively acquired talent within Jorge Jesus’ side.
While Serbian duo Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have played key roles in a team of high-profile signings such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, Lee believes the key to prevailing against Al-Hilal lies elsewhere.
“We have to take care of the Saudi Arabian players, their domestic players,” said Lee, who has led the South Korean club into the continental championship for the first time.
“We know the big name players, we know how they play. We have to keep an eye on Salem Al-Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno or Ali Al-Bulayhi. They’re the players who are the core of Al-Hilal. We have to take care of them.”
Gwangju go into the clash at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium as underdogs having already performed above expectations to reach the last eight.
After a series of impressive displays in the league phase, the Koreans battled back from a two-goal first-leg deficit to eliminate J-League champions Vissel Kobe in the previous round.
Gwangju’s Albanian winger Jasir Asani is the tournament’s leading scorer with nine goals and Lee knows his players will need to be switched on for the duration of the quarter-final if they are to prevail.
“Every minute, every second is going to be very precious for us,” he said. “The game will last maybe 100 minutes and this is a showcase for us, to show to the world how we play.
“Tomorrow’s game is do or die. One is going to win and one is going to die.”
Al-Hilal go into the clash in the middle of a stuttering run of form, prompting Jesus to temper the expectations of his club’s demanding supporters.
“We know that this team (Gwangju) is very strong, that they have had a good performance and good forward with good potential,” said the experienced Portuguese coach. “We will face a team that plays well in a collective way.
“We have watched the games they played before. We are aware of all the details of our opponent and we can say they are a strong team and that will make the match harder.”


Al-Nassr crowned champions of Saudi Women’s Premier League with big win over Al-Taraji

Updated 24 April 2025
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Al-Nassr crowned champions of Saudi Women’s Premier League with big win over Al-Taraji

  • A 6-0 win capped an outstanding season with 17 victories and only 1 loss in the league

RIYADH: Al-Nassr celebrated winning the 2024-25 Saudi Women’s Premier League title on Wednesday night after a thumping 6-0 win over Al-Taraji in their final match of the season in Riyadh.

Al-Nassr had secured the title several weeks ago and finished the season with a total of 51 points from 17 wins and only one loss.

Al-Nassr got off to a perfect start when Maria Eduardo (Duda) scored in the first minute, one of three goals she bagged in the game. Her second came one minute before the break, and she completed her hattrick after 64 minutes.

It was not the only treble of the night as Carla Luvanga repeated the feat for Al-Nassr, bringing her total for the season to 21 and making her the league’s top scorer.

The Tanzanian star opened her account after six minutes and followed up with strikes in the 17th and 36th minutes, as Al-Nassr ended the first half with a five-goal lead.

There were several other notable moments, with one yellow card issued for Al-Nassr and two for Al-Taraji, and eight and 15 fouls respectively.

Following the win, Al-Nassr’s goalkeeper Sarah Khalid told Arab News: “We prepared very well for this game, but we also wanted to enjoy every moment of it.

“It’s the last game of the season, we’re champions.”

Khalid added: “It was a good game for us ... we gave it our all, we wanted to score more obviously but at the same time, the coach decided to play as many players as possible and this is also amazing.”

The key to the championship was taking one game at a time. “Working hard towards a specific objective and lifting each other up through hardships and adversity is what makes this team very special.”

Speaking to Arab News, Al-Nassr’s head coach, Abdulaziz Al-Alwni, said: “What happened today was not easy … all the challenges we overcame were difficult, but we lucked out with this team.”

Al-Alwni added: “This year we achieved high stats and difficult numbers, and the group as a whole is the main reason why we reached as far as we did.”

“Off the field, away from the game, it’s a clean environment, an attractive environment, an environment of one heart and one family, that is the main reason why the team performs well on the field.”

The coach has already begun planning for next season.

“Next season is a hard one, we have Asia (AFC Women’s Asian Cup), West Asia (WAFF Women’s Championship), the league, the cup (Saudi Women’s Cup), and the Super Cup (Saudi Women’s Super Cup),” Al-Alwni said.

“There’s some pressure, the Saudi players are not used to these types of championships, but we have started working and next season will hopefully be a substantial one.”

Reem Al-Beloshi, a goalkeeper for Al-Nassr, spoke proudly of the result. “Today’s game was of course amazing,” she said. “We celebrated our third league win in a row … we feel great, we’re happy.”

Al-Beloshi said the attitude going into every game was to “push through” until the last minute.

When that determination is combined with respect for the game and respect for the opposing team, she added, that is when you will see your ambitions realized.


Rating Saudi clubs’ chances in AFC Champions League Elite playoffs

Updated 24 April 2025
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Rating Saudi clubs’ chances in AFC Champions League Elite playoffs

  • Asia’s 8 top teams will play in centralized location, a controversial shift from home-and-away format
  • Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Jeddah-based Al-Ahli will get the benefit of home nation advantage

AUSTRALIA: All roads lead to Jeddah this week as the top eight teams of this year’s AFC Champions League Elite converge on the coastal city to determine the best club in Asia.

There is a significant shift from the usual home-and-away format that has operated for the past two decades since the AFC Champions League was reformed in the early 2000s.

The quarterfinals, semifinals and final will all be staged in a centralized location over a two-week period, in a move that has divided opinion in Asian football circles.

With Saudi Arabia confirmed as the host for this new centralized format provisionally until the 2028-29 edition, it grants a massive advantage to the three Saudi Pro League sides that qualify for the tournament each season, should they progress this far.

And given the strength of the competition at the moment, it is hard to see a scenario in which the final eight does not include three SPL sides.

This year the clubs are Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Jeddah-based Al-Ahli, who get the benefit of not just home nation advantage, but home city and home ground as well.

In an ominous sign for the remaining five sides, the three have dominated proceedings this season. In the 30 games played combined, they have won 23, drawn five and lost just two.

If anyone wants to take the trophy away from Saudi Arabia after the next fortnight’s action, they’re going to have their work cut out for them.

But just how well-placed are Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli to be crowned Asian champions this year?

Al-Hilal

Widely considered — especially in their own minds — to be Asia’s biggest club, lifting continental silverware is almost a minimum expectation, which is an almost impossible standard to meet.

And it might prove so this season given their current run of form, having uncharacteristically lost four of their past 10 in all competitions. Such form is tantamount to a full-blown crisis, and yet they remain in the running for both the league and ACL Elite this season.

The return to fitness of Joao Cancelo is a significant boost for Jorge Jesus’ side, with the Portuguese international sidelined since the start of March with a hamstring injury. But getting 26 minutes into his legs off the bench in the 3-0 win over Al-Khaleej is just what the doctor ordered.

Their aura in this competition means they are always a threat and if they can get past South Korea’s Gwangju, a potential clash with Al-Ahli awaits in the semifinals. This would pose a significant challenge having lost 3-2 to Matthias Jaissle’s side last time out.

Al-Ahli

It has been a weird season for Al-Ahli. A slow start in the SPL, with just three wins from their first nine, put them on the back foot from the get-go.

But once they turned their form around they became one of the most in-form teams in the entire competition, even if that was not reflected in their ladder position.

Despite their turnaround in form, however, they have continued to struggle against fellow Big Four teams, with just one win from six against Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad this season.

All the while, in continental competition, they went 7-1-0 in the ACL Elite to look one of the most convincing teams. And backed that up with commanding 3-1 and 2-0 wins over Al-Rayyan in the round of 16.

Perhaps no player epitomizes their persona more than Ivan Toney. Despite bagging 25 goals in all competitions, he does not carry the aura that someone with those numbers ordinarily might. That is Al-Ahli this season. The numbers stack up, but the aura is not quite there.

With home ground advantage over the next two weeks, though, and a first-up clash with Thailand’s Buriram United, they have a chance to achieve something this club has never achieved before.

Al-Nassr

This is the moment for Cristiano Ronaldo to silence the doubters, and there have been plenty since his move to Al-Nassr at the end of 2022.

Firstly Al-Ittihad, and then Al-Hilal, have thwarted his attempts for silverware domestically. And again it looks like they will fall short in that regard this season, especially after their 2-1 loss to Al-Qadsiah last week.

That result left them eight points behind top spot with a dwindling number of games in which to overturn the deficit. But the opportunity to lift continental silverware, with all the reward and prestige that comes with it, remains tantalizingly close.

If they are to do it, Ronaldo will be the man to lead them.

Despite entering his fifth decade on this earth, he shows no signs of slowing down, leading the SPL Golden Boot race with 23 goals, while he has 32 in all competitions this season including seven in the ACL Elite.

If Jhon Duran can find the fire again, with his last goal for Al-Nassr coming over a month ago, they have the firepower to go all the way.

They are facing a Yokohama F. Marinos side in disarray, having just sacked their coach Steve Holland, and sitting bottom of the J. League.

In the quarterfinal they have to be favorites to reach the final from their side of the draw, with a potential semifinal against either Al-Sadd or Kawasaki Frontale.


Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals

Updated 23 April 2025
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Jeddah gears up for the AFC Champions League Elite finals

  • The finals feature seven matches taking place in a new format
  • Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli topped their groups with 22 points each

JEDDAH: Football fans throughout Asia are turning their eyes to Jeddah, as the coastal city known as the Bride of the Red Sea gears up to host the AFC Champions League Elite finals from April 25 to May 3,2025.
The finals feature seven highly anticipated matches taking place in a new format with all matches played in King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City.
Saudi clubs secured their places in the final rounds after impressive performances in the group stage. Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli topped their groups with 22 points each, undefeated, while Al-Nassr finished third with 17 points after just one loss.
Four-time Asian champions Al-Hilal SFC of Saudi Arabia will face Gwangju FC from South Korea.
Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan will face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, with both sides aiming to win the title for the first time.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, will be at home to take on Thailand’s Buriram United while Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale will meet 2011 champions Al-Sadd SC of Qatar.
The winners of the Al Hilal-Gwangju tie will meet the winners of the Al Ahli-Buriram clash while the victors of Marinos-Al-Nassr will square off against the Frontale-Al Sadd winner in the semi-finals.
The first quarterfinal is scheduled for April 25, with the second and third last-eight ties on April 26, and the final one to be played on April 27.
The semifinals will be contested on April 29 and 30 with the final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on May 3, with ultimate glory on the line and a record prize worth $12 million.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr, is one of the tournament’s most prominent players and is out to add the AFC Champions League title to his impressive record.
Despite being 40 years old, Ronaldo as scored seven goals to date, proving his value to his team in its bid for the title.
As the matches draw closer, Jeddah is preparing to welcome thousands of fans from across the Kingdom and beyond.

Quarterfinals
Al-Hilal vs. Gwangju FC
Al-Ahli vs. Buriram United
Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Al-Nassr
Kawasaki Frontale vs. Al-Sadd
Semifinals
Al-Hilal or Gwangju FC vs. Al-Ahli or Buriram United
Yokohama F. Marinos or Al-Nassr vs. Kawasaki Frontale or Al-Sadd