Saudi Arabian football club Al Hilal is seeking to clinch a victory tonight in their quest to set a new Guinness world record for the most consecutive wins in all football competitions.
Following their 3-1 win last Friday, March 8, against Al-Riyadh, Al Hilal amassed 27 consecutive victories across various competitions. The Riyadh-based football club is tied with the 2016-2017 Welsh team, The New Saints, for the world record as they secured 27 victories.
27 Consecutive Victories ✅
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) March 8, 2024
Al Hilal 🇸🇦@GWR Do you hear me? #AlHilal 🔝 pic.twitter.com/RXaOxz3QpH
Tonight, Al Hilal is targeting their 28th win as they are set to compete against Al-Ittihad in the second leg of the Asian Champions League quarter-finals. In their first leg of the quarter-finals stage, the Riyadh-based football club clinched a 2-0 victory over their rivals.
Al Hilal’s dominance in the Saudi Pro League and Asian Champions League this season can be widely attributed to the amount of money the football club invested in securing star players. The Riyadh-based club spent roughly $380 million on player transfers to their team.
Among the most notable transfers to Al Hilal was Brazilian striker Neymar, who left Paris Saint-Germain after six seasons to sign a contract with the Riyadh-based club for a reported 2-year contract worth $300 million.
While Neymar’s transfer seemed promising for the Saudi Arabian football club, the Brazilian sensation has missed most of the 2023-2024 season. The 32-year-old suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his knee in Brazil’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay on October 17, 2023, in the World Cup qualifying round.
Shortly after his injury, Neymar needed to undergo surgery and has since been adhering to a treatment program. The Brazilian sensation is expected to return to the field at the start of the 2024-2025 football season. Before suffering from a torn ACL and meniscus, Neymar had competed in five matches for the Saudi Pro League and scored one goal for Al Hilal.
Brazil Forward Neymar Responding Very Well After ACL Surgery
— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) November 14, 2023
The player sustained the injury while representing the national team at a 2026 World Cup qualifier. https://t.co/smTxf0jkLw pic.twitter.com/v9IScvCbj7
Despite the high expectations for Al Hilal following the addition of Neymar, the Riyadh-based team has managed to excel this season amidst the absence of the Brazilian sensation. Al Hilal’s 27-game win streak included 16 victories in Saudi Pro League matches, three in the King Cup of Champions tournament, and eight in the AFC Champions League tournament.
While Al Hilal has been competing without the Brazilian sensation, prolific striker Aleksandar Mitrović, who has heavily contributed to his club’s victories this season, will appear in tonight’s match. He is Al Hilal’s top scorer after securing 20 goals for his team this season, and the Serbian native played a crucial role in the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-finals when he secured a goal for his team.
Tonight’s match seems promising for Al Hilal as they currently hold the No. 1 spot in the Saudi Pro League and have not lost a game this season with a record of 21-2-0, while Al-Ittihad is in fourth place with 12-4-7.
The Jeddah-based club had an astounding 2022-2023 football season, as they are now the defending champions of the 2023 Saudi Pro League title.
Al-Ittihad hoped to keep up the momentum in the 2023-2024 season as they secured former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema on June 6, 2023, for a 3-year contract. The Jeddah-based club had high hopes this season amidst the addition of Benzema, yet the French forward has been absent from numerous games due to his injury-prone season.
In last week’s match between Al Hilal and Al-Ittihad, the 36-year-old failed to be called up to the Jeddah-based squad as they lost to Al Hilal. Fans were speculating that the French forward would compete in tonight’s match and help his club overcome their 2-0 deficit against Al Hilal. Since Benzema suffered from right leg muscle soreness the past week and sat out on matches, he will not compete in tonight’s match.
Not only is Al-Ittihad competing without star player Benzema tonight, but the club will also be missing a vital playmaker. In the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-finals, one of the greatest midfielders, N’Golo Kanté, was ejected from the match after receiving a red card in the middle of the game for his dangerous tackle on Kalidou Koulibaly. Despite the absence of two star players, the Jeddah-based club will have to give tonight’s game everything they have.
The winner of tonight’s match will advance to the Asian Champions League semifinals and compete against Al Ain in their quest for the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League title. Al Hilal is no stranger to the title as they are the most successful club in the tournament, having won the championship four times.
While both football clubs are set to compete tonight despite the absence of their star players, it seems that Al Hilal has a significant chance at clinching their 28th consecutive win tonight and making history as the club sets a new Guinness world record.
