Al Hilal vs Al Nassr

Lore & Background

The idea of establishing the club began when the ranks of the Youth Club witnessed in 1957 a serious division among its leaders, which prompted Abdul Rahman bin Saeed to resign from the presidency of the Youth Club, and many left with him, including a number of prominent players. A new club was established on 15 October 1957 in Riyadh, but the club's name lasted for only one year before it was changed to its current name on 3 December 1958 by King Saud.

After spending their formative years building a squad, the club made their first mark by lifting the King's Cup trophy in 1961. Al-Hilal won the King's Cup again in 1964, with a penalty shootout victory over two-time Asian champions Al Ittihad. The club also won the Crown Prince Cup in 1963–64. The club were the inaugural winners when the Saudi Premier League came into existence in the 1976–77 season.

Al Hilal also won the league title in 1978–79. In the 1970s, Brazilian legend Rivellino joined the club as a player. In the 1980s, the club hired Saudi Arabian players such as Saleh Al-Nu'eimeh and Yousuf Al-Thunayan. The club went on to win four league titles as well as four kings cup titles in ten years.

Al Hilal were the runners-up in the Asian club Championship twice. In the 1990s, Al Hilal achieved 23 titles and continued to produce talent from its academy with players such as Nawaf Al-Temyat, Mohammed Al-Shalhoub, Abdallah Al-Jamaan, Ahmad Al-Dokhi, and Zambian defender Elijah Litana. The club won their first Asian title, the Asian Club Championship, in 1991, beating Iranian club Esteghlal on penalties. In 1997 the Asian Cup Winners Cup and Asian Super Cup were also obtained.

The club won the Asian Club Championship again in 1999–2000, beating Japanese club Júbilo Iwata in extra time; a Super Cup was also achieved in the same year. The last Asian title secured in this era was the 2002 Cup Winners Cup. In the 2000s, the historic rivalry between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad dominated Saudi football. Al Hilal won league titles in 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10, and 2010–11.

The pinnacle moment of the era was in the 2007–08 season when Al Hilal clinched the league title in Jeddah against Al Ittihad with a 1–0 win, under the management of Cosmin Olăroiu, coupled with the Crown Prince Cup for a double.

Reader's Guide

Al-Hilal is a multi-sports club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The club has won a record 21 league titles, 13 Crown Prince Cup titles, seven Saudi Federation Cup titles, 10 King's Cup titles, five Saudi Super Cups, and the Saudi Founder's Cup. In continental competitions, the club has won a record eight AFC trophies, including four AFC Champions League titles (1991, 2000, 2019, 2021), two Asian Cup Winners' Cups (1997, 2002), and two Asian Super Cups (1997, 2000). Internationally, Al-Hilal have made multiple appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup and were runners-up in the 2022 edition, becoming the first Asian club from outside the host nation to reach the final. In September 2009, Al-Hilal was awarded Greatest Asian Club of the 20th Century by the IFFHS. Al-Hilal has a market value of €242.5 million as of 2024, the highest in Saudi Arabia.

Did You Know?

• Al-Hilal was founded on 16 October 1957, but the club was originally established under a different name on 15 October 1957, before being renamed by King Saud on 3 December 1958.
• Brazilian legend Rivellino played for Al-Hilal in the 1970s, but Mario Zagallo only managed the club and did not play for them.
• Sami Al-Jaber debuted for Al-Hilal in 1988 and became prominent in the 1990s, not the 1980s.