SEOUL (AP) – Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema have won a combined total of 11 UEFA Champions League titles and, starting tonight, they lead the Saudi Arabian challenge in the Asian edition.
Neymar, who last week surpassed Pele’s international goal tally for Brazil, arrived at Al-Hilal in August and made his league debut on Friday as the four-time Asian champion thrashed Abha 6-1. Hilal lost the final to Urawa Reds of Japan last May.
Since then, Saudi Arabian clubs have spent around USD950 million on some of the biggest stars in the world.
As well as Neymar, Al-Hilal have signed English Premier League stars Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Aleksandar Mitrovic as well as Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Brazilian winger Malcom and Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Mumbai City has been placed in the same group and the Indians are looking forward to a chance to take on Hilal and especially their Brazilian superstar.
“I think anyone that’s seen the movement in some of these teams, and Neymar being the latest to arrive there, it’s exciting,” Mumbai’s coach Des Buckingham said. “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.”
In total, there are four Saudi Arabian representatives among the 40 in the group stage with the 10 group winners and the six-best second-placed teams progressing to the second round.
After years of games between Saudi Arabia and Iran being played in neutral venues, Ronaldo will lead Al-Nassr to Tehran on Wednesday to take on Persepolis. The visitor has never lifted the Asian trophy.
Persepolis president Reza Darvish told local television earlier this month that Al-Nassr will be provided with full access to the Internet, unlike the general public in the country.
“I have spoken with the Chief Executive Officer of Irancell, and I told him 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,” Darvish said.
Al-Ittihad are the Saudi Arabian champions and, as well as Benzema, have brought in past European winners such as N’Golo Kante from Chelsea and Fabinho from Liverpool. The two-time Asian champion starts against AGMK of Uzbekistan in Jeddah.
Al-Fayha complete the Saudi quartet. The team start with a tough trip to Uzbekistan to take on Pakhtakor.
The tournament is not all about the Saudi Arabian teams as it is split into geographic zones until the final, ensuring a representative from the eastern half of the continent next May.
Japan’s Urawa Reds are the current champions and Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i of South Korea lifted the trophy in 2020.
“We know that Saudi Arabian teams will provide strong opposition but the standard is rising all across Asia,” Ulsan coach Hong Myong-bo said.
“We have to focus first on doing as well as we can.”
