Al Hilal Defeats Manchester City: End of Era or Rise of Saudi Pro League?
The entire world watched in awe as Al Hilal stunned Premier League giants Manchester City, defeating them 4-3 after extra time to book a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals in the United States. Their style of football and fearless mentality earned widespread praise.
Al Hilal now stand as the sole representatives of the Asian Football Confederation in the tournament, following the exits of clubs like Ulsan Hyundai and Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates.
Defeating Pep Guardiola’s City is not only a remarkable achievement, it’s something that would have been unthinkable just three years ago. But a combination of smart investment, tactical evolution, and player development has brought Al Hilal to this historic moment.
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Beginning
The Saudi Pro League was established in 1976, not necessarily to be a competitive force in global football, but rather as a destination for aging players, primarily from Europe and parts of Asia, looking to wind down their careers. This trend continued for decades until Qatar’s successful hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which significantly boosted its global image. Saudi Arabia took notice and wanted the same.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund valued at over $925 billion, is tasked with investing oil profits to diversify the nation’s economy. As part of its broader Vision 2030 strategy, the PIF turned its attention to global sports, pouring funds into ventures like golf and football.
In 2023, following Al Nassr’s blockbuster signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, the PIF took things a step further, announcing it had acquired ownership stakes in four clubs in the Saudi Pro League:
- Al-Hilal
- Al-Nassr
- Al-Ahli
- Al-Ittihad
The objective of this was to create a league that would, in time, rival top European leagues.
Saudi Pro League Spending
Participants in the FIFA Club World Cup are assured of a huge financial boost. For the first time, FIFA revealed it will take no proceeds from the tournament, meaning eventual winners could earn as much as $100 million.
For Al Hilal, though, money was never the target for a side that spent €376 million on transfers in the 2023-24 season (including 90 million euros on Neymar) and another €102 million in the 2024-25 season.
The current Al Hila Squad is valued at €242.5 million, the highest in the Saudi Pro League, apart from Real Madrid and Manchester City; no other side has a higher valuation.
End of an Era/Rise of Saudi Pro League
Even though Pep Guardiola admitted other clubs were envious of participants, including City at the Club World Cup, he wished the tournament had come up later in the year. He also feared a potential ‘Destruction’ of his players due to the number of games and conditions in the US.
Giving off vibes of a certain.. relief City would feel of a potential exit at this stage despite finishing the regular season without a major trophy.
Guardiola’s post-match thoughts also echoed a man and a team who treated this competition as more of a Pre-season with the chance to test new signings in a highly competitive match mode while reminding the higher authorities of the need to further trim a large squad. The target ultimately is the 2025-26 season, where City hope to wrestle back the league from Liverpool
A few weeks ago, Simone Inzaghi was on the touchline as Inter Milan were getting destroyed 5-0 in the Champions League Final but shockingly swapped Europe for Asia and ahead of the Manchester City tie spoke the mind of the entire Saudi Pro League when he confessed Money was not their target.
According to the Italian Coach, Al Hilal and the rest of the Saudi Pro League want an opportunity to sit in the same group as the top teams in Europe.
The Saudi Pro League has spent over 1.5 billion pounds since Ronaldo and Neymar joined in 2023, and Al Hilal have spent over 300 million pounds. The victorious team over Manchester City comprised of former Sevilla Goalkeeper, Yacine Bonou, Former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly and former Barca starlet Malcom.
This is not to forget several star names like N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema. These acquisitions in the last 2 years appear random but yet strategic with the Club World Cup serving as the perfect platform to finally announce itself to the world using Manchester City’s victory as the perfect advertisement that the Saudi Pro League is here to stay.
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