Al-Hilal SFC: All You Want to Know about the Saudi Arabian Football Team

Al-Hilal SFC Overview

Al Hilal Saudi Football Club, briefly Al-Hilal SFC, a professional sports club located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was founded on October 16, 1957. It is one of three teams that have played in every season of the Saudi Professional League since its start in 1976. Al-Hilal SFC is the most awarded club in Asia, with 70 official trophies.

History

Al-Hilal SFC was established in 1957 due to internal disagreements in a youth club. In 1958, it was renamed Al-Hilal SFC and received support from the royal family. The club won its first King’s Cup in 1961 and continued to succeed in the following years, winning the Crown Prince Cup and Saudi Super League titles. In the 1970s, the team attracted many foreign players and coaches, including Brazilian legends Mario Zagallo and Rivellino. This strengthened Al-Hilal SFC’s position as a major force in Saudi football.

Achievements

Domestic Achievements

In domestic competitions, Al-Hilal SFC has won a record 19 league titles, 13 Crown Prince Cups, 7 Saudi Federation Cups, 11 King’s Cups, 5 Super Cups, and the Saudi Founder’s Cup.

Continental Achievements

Al-Hilal SFC has won a record eight AFC trophies, including the AFC Champions League in 1991, 2000, 2019, and 2021, the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997 and 2002, and the Asian Super Cup in 1997 and 2000.

International Achievements

On the international stage, Al-Hilal SFC has participated in the FIFA Club World Cup multiple times. In 2022, they became the first Asian club from a non-hosting country to reach the final, finishing as runners-up. In September 2009, Al-Hilal SFC was named the best Asian club of the 20th century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.

Al-Hilal SFC’s Star Signings: Ronaldo’s Rejection and Neymar’s Arrival

In September 2022, Al-Hilal SFC offered Cristiano Ronaldo a two-year contract worth €242 million. However, Ronaldo declined the offer, calling it “obscene.” Reports about this offer first emerged in July 2022, but at that time, the name Al-Hilal SFC was not well-known.

On August 15, 2023, Al-Hilal SFC signed world-famous player Neymar for a record fee of €90 million plus bonuses. The club also signed other European league players, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Malcom, Yassine Bounou, and Aleksandar Mitrović. Later in the season, Neymar suffered a ligament injury, so the club signed Renan Lodi to fill his spot.

Crest and Mascot of Al-Hilal SFC

In 2022, Al-Hilal SFC made a major redesign of its logo, moving to a more modern and simplified design. The new logo features three vertical blue stripes, with a crescent in the middle as a nod to the club’s history.

A notable aspect of the new design is the negative space between the stripes, which creates a white “H” representing “Hilal,” the Arabic word for “crescent,” and the club’s name. Additionally, the negative space forms a subtle “S” for “Saudi,” linking the crest to the club’s country of origin.

The club’s mascot is a shark, known for “devouring” all the trophies. In August 2022, Al-Hilal SFC stated,

“The merging of the two letters in both languages in the logo symbolizes the form of a grand and solid shield suitable for all sports, bearing the values and principles of Al-Hilal.”

Al-Hilal SFC Rivalries

Saudi National Derby

Al-Hilal SFC and Al-Ittihad have been rivals for a long time. From the start of national competitions, these two clubs have represented Saudi Arabia’s largest cities: Riyadh and Jeddah. Al-Hilal SFC has won the Asian Club Championship four times in 1991, 1999-2000, 2019, and 2021, while Al Ittihad won the AFC Champions League twice in 2004 and 2005.

In the Saudi national derby, Al-Hilal SFC has won 62 times, Al Ittihad 50 times, with 35 matches ending in a draw. As of 2023, the biggest victory was Al-Hilal SFC’s 5-0 win over Al Ittihad in the 2009-10 season.

Riyadh Derby

Another rivalry is the Riyadh derby against Al Nassr. They have faced each other 148 times, with Al-Hilal SFC winning 59 matches, losing 48, and drawing 41. The biggest win was when Al-Hilal SFC defeated Al Nassr 5-1 in the 2016-2017 Saudi Pro League.

Rivalries with Al Ittihad

This rivalry is more intense than the one with Al Ittihad. For example, when Al-Hilal SFC reached the AFC Champions League final in 2014, fans of Western Sydney Wanderers waited at the airport to support their team against Al-Hilal SFC and tried to disrupt Al-Hilal SFC’s ticket plans.

Al-Hilal SFC vs Others

In the AFC Champions League, Al-Hilal SFC’s most intense matches include those against Al Ain from the UAE, Al Sadd from Qatar, Persepolis from Iran, and strong East Asian rivals Urawa Red Diamonds and Pohang Steelers.

Revenue

Al-Hilal SFC is sponsored by companies like Adidas, Nike, Mouj, and Puma, with Puma providing support since 2023.

In addition, a part of Al Hilal’s revenue comes from television broadcasting rights. The club receives income from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, which sells the broadcasting rights for all matches as a package. This revenue is shared equally among all clubs in the Saudi Pro League. The broadcasting rights are currently sold to the SBC channel of the Saudi Broadcasting Corporation and the Shahid streaming service. SSC Sports (Saudi Sports Company) also holds broadcasting rights.

The club’s president and other board members increase revenue by selling club jerseys and other products. They also create investment companies owned by the club to generate additional income needed for operations. Sponsorship is crucial for the club’s financial health because it signs many profitable agreements. The club’s popularity at local, regional, and continental levels attracts many fans and followers, especially on social media. Al Hilal has over 15 million followers across all its social media accounts.

Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club’s Current Squad

Al-Hilal currently has a squad of 31 players, including 8 athletes who are under 19 years old. Among them, one player, Khalid Al-Ghannam, is on loan. Al-Hilal SFC players captain is Salem Al-Dawsari.

Al-Hilal SFC: Records and Statistics

Yasir Al-Qatani, the former captain of the Saudi national team, is Al-Hilal’s all-time top scorer, with 122 goals in 271 matches. French player Bafetimbi Gomis follows closely with 105 goals in 146 matches. Salem Al-Dawsari is also a current player who has scored over 100 goals, making him the club’s top active scorer.

The largest victory for Al-Hilal SFC came in the first round of the 2018-19 King’s Cup, where they defeated Al-Dhahran 9-0. They matched this score in an away game against Al-Hazem SC in the 2023-24 season.

In the 2018-19 King’s Cup semifinals, Al-Hilal SFC suffered their worst defeat in history, losing 0-5 to Al-Taawoun.

Ahmed Al-Suwailh, at just 17 years and 3 months old, is the youngest player in Al-Hilal’s history.

Mohammed Al-Shalhoub, at 39 years and 9 months, is the oldest player to play for the club.

Mohammed Al-Shalhoub is also the oldest scorer for Al-Hilal SFC. He scored at 39 years old in a King’s Cup match against Al-Jabalain.

Ahmed Al-Suwailh holds the record for the youngest scorer in Al-Hilal’s history. He set this record at 17 years and 4 months old in a Saudi Pro League match against Al-Ahli in September 2003.

From September 2023 to April 2024, Al-Hilal went 34 matches unbeaten, setting a club record. This record was eventually broken by Al-Ain from the UAE, who defeated Al-Hilal 4-2 in the AFC Champions League.