Club World Cup Profile: Al Hilal

Al Hilal have won 70 trophies throughout their history. They are competing in Group H of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup alongside Real Madrid, CF Pachuca, and FC Salzburg. The Asian side faces a tough opponent in their opening match as they will take on European giants Real Madrid on June 18th at Hard Rock Stadium at 3:00 PM ET.

Route to Qualification:

Al Hilal earned qualification for this year’s CWC after a 2-0 victory over Korean side Pohang Steelers in the 2021 AFC Champions League final. Nasser Al-Dawsari and Moussa Marega were the goalscorers.

Historical Facts:

1957: Founded on October 16, 1957. It was known as Olympic Club at the time before King Saud bin Abdulaziz decided to change it in 1958 to Al Hilal based on three name suggestions that were given to him.

1961: Won their first King’s Cup

1963-1964: Won the Crown Prince Cup.

1976-1977: Won their first domestic league title. More titles were quickly added to their trophy cabinet after that as the club has won 18 league titles without ever facing relegation.

1991: Winners of the AFC Champions League

1997: Winners of the Asian Cup Winner’s Cup

2021: Won their record fourth AFC Champions League title, granting them qualification for the 2025 Club World Cup.

2022: Their best finish in the Club World Cup after a 5-3 loss to Real Madrid in the final.

2023: Al Hilal made their presence known to the global football world after signing Brazilian superstar Neymar from PSG for a reported $98M.

Most Important Player: Salem Al-Dawsari

(courtesy of FIFA)

Salem Al-Dawsari is currently Al Hilal’s most important player. The 33 year old Saudi international winger has been on fire for the Saudi Arabian side with 26 goals and 17 assists in 46 appearances for Al Hilal in all competitions so far this season. Al-Dawsari is a player that will be remembered in Saudi Arabian football history as he scored the game winning goal in Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 group stage upset over Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He is a very dangerous player that breaks defenses and tends to cut inside. The Saudi international is very skillful and has great vision.

Potential Breakout Player: Kaio César

Kaio César is a potential breakout player to watch for Al Hilal during the 2025 Club World Cup. The 21 year old Brazilian international has three goals and three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

Season Outlook:

Al Hilal finished in 2nd place in the Saudi Pro League, eight points behind champions Al-Ittihad. This is only be the third time in Al Hilal’s past ten seasons that they failed to clinch the title. The club was able to land silverware despite the disappointment in league play as they won the Saudi Super Cup after a 4-1 win over an Al Nassr side led by Cristiano Ronaldo. Milinković-Savić, Alexander Mitrović, and Malcom were the goalscorers. The club is eagerly looking ahead to the Club World Cup after the Saudi season ended Monday.

“I think we can have a good performance, we don’t have any expectations because it’s a tournament featuring some of the best teams in the world,” said Portuguese defender João Cancelo. “We’ll go there to perform well. First, we have to get through our group, which is the most important thing, and then it’s a matter of going step-by-step, and match-by-match.”