Ronaldo, Neymar, Benzema Set Sights on Asian Champions League Glory
A trio of footballing legends, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema, boasting a collective haul of 11 UEFA Champions League titles, will spearhead the Saudi Arabian challenge in the Asian edition of the tournament, set to commence on Monday.
Neymar, who recently surpassed Pele’s international goal record for Brazil, joined Al-Hilal in August and made his league debut on Friday, contributing to his team’s resounding 6-1 victory over Abha. Al-Hilal, a four-time Asian champion, had finished as the runner-up in the final to Japan’s Urawa Reds in May.
Saudi Arabian clubs have undergone a significant transformation, with approximately $950 million spent on acquiring some of the world’s top football stars. This spending spree has been facilitated by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which now holds a majority ownership stake in four leading Saudi clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Nassr.
In addition to Neymar, Al-Hilal has secured the services of English Premier League stars Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Brazilian winger Malcom, and Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Mumbai City FC finds itself in the same group as Al-Hilal and is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to face the Saudi powerhouse and its Brazilian superstar, Neymar.
Mumbai City’s coach, Des Buckingham, expressed his excitement, stating, “They’re bringing that calibre and quality of player to India, which is going to be extremely exciting for us and for our club but also for the fans of India.”
Among the 40 teams in the group stage, there are four Saudi Arabian representatives. The ten group winners and the six best second-placed teams will advance to the second round.
Ronaldo will lead Al-Nassr to Tehran to face Persepolis, a clash that has previously been played at neutral venues. The visitor has never won the Asian Champions League.
Persepolis President Reza Darvish has assured full internet access for Al-Nassr, an exception given the country’s general restrictions on internet usage. Darvish explained, “We want to give players and personnel Irancell SIM cards with unrestricted internet so they can use it from the time they enter Iran till the time they leave.”
Al-Ittihad, the reigning Saudi Arabian champion, has bolstered its squad with the likes of N’Golo Kante from Chelsea and Fabinho from Liverpool. The two-time Asian champion will begin its campaign against AGMK of Uzbekistan in Jeddah.
Completing the Saudi quartet is Al-Fayha, which, unlike the other three teams, is not owned by the Public Investment Fund and does not possess the same star-studded lineup. Al-Fayha faces a challenging opener in Uzbekistan against Pakhtakor.
The Asian Champions League is divided into geographic zones until the final, ensuring representation from the eastern half of the continent in May.
Japan’s Urawa Reds are the defending champions, while South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i lifted the trophy in 2020. Despite the strong Saudi Arabian contingent, coaches remain aware of the rising standard of competition across Asia.
“We know that Saudi Arabian teams will provide strong opposition, but the standard is rising all across Asia,” remarked Ulsan coach Hong Myong-bo. “We have to focus first on doing as well as we can.”
