GOR MAHIA 1-1 AL HILAL | CECAFA KAGAME CUP 2026

 

JEAN CLAUDE GIRUMUGISHA JOINING YOUNG AFRICANS (YANGA)

 

SAUDI PRO LEAGUE TABLE

 

SAUDI ARABIA PRO LEAGUE STANDINGS

 

OFFICIAL: BARCELONA SIGN JOAO CANCELO ON LOAN; SHIRT NUMBER CONFIRMED

 

Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images

FC Barcelona have officially confirmed the return of Joao Cancelo, with the Portuguese defender joining the club on loan from Al Hilal until the end of the current season. 

The move marks a familiar reunion, bringing back a player who already knows the environment, the demands, and the expectations of playing at the Spotify Camp Nou.

After weeks of speculation surrounding Barcelona’s search for defensive reinforcement, the club moved to secure Cancelo’s services once again. 

A sweet homecoming 

In an official announcement released by the club, Barcelona confirmed the deal and welcomed the defender back to Catalonia.

“Cancelo is once again a Barça player. FC Barcelona and Al Hilal Saudi FC have reached an agreement for the loan of the Portuguese full-back until the end of the season,” read a statement from the club.

The signing was formalised on Tuesday at the club’s offices, with several key figures present to mark the occasion. 

Hay lugares que nunca se olvidan.

Bienvenido de nuevo al Barça, João 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/m16iA067Tc

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) January 13, 2026

President Joan Laporta attended the ceremony alongside first vice-president Rafael Yuste, board member Joan Soler, and Director of the Football Area, Deco. 

Notably, this is not Cancelo’s first spell at Barcelona, as the full-back previously wore the Blaugrana shirt during the 2023/24 season, when he arrived on loan from Manchester City. 

Back then, Cancelo featured in 42 matches across all competitions, becoming a regular presence in the starting XI and offering consistency at both right-back and left-back.

Lastly, Barcelona have confirmed that Cancelo will once again wear the number ‘2’ shirt. 

The number became available after Pau Cubarsi switched to the number ‘5’, which was vacated by Inigo Martinez during the summer. 

- Swapnil Bhopatkar

AL HILAL 2-1 AL FATEH | AL HILAL FIGHT BACK WITH 10 MEN TO WIN

LIVERPOOL PREPARED TO SMASH BRITISH TRANSFER RECORD AGAIN TO SIGN ALEXANDER ISAK FROM NEWCASTLE WITH STRIKER STALLING OVER NEW DEAL

Liverpool are prepared to smash their transfer record again to sign Alexander Isak this summer

Liverpool are prepared to smash their transfer record for the second time this summer as Alexander Isak's Newcastle future was cast into further doubt on Tuesday.

The Premier League champions have already made the statement signing of the summer by signing Florian Wirtz for £116million; they supplemented that by landing another Bayer Leverkusen player, Jeremie Frimpong, as well as Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

But the addition of Isak would surpass everything. It will take a new British record fee to secure the Sweden international, in advance of £125m, but Liverpool's intentions are clear: they will move if they receive encouragement.

Adding Isak to the squad would take Liverpool's transfer overhaul to more than £300m

Newcastle remain adamant that Isak is not for sale and want to enhance his £120,000 per week contract - a task that should have been done on the watch of former Director of Football Paul Mitchell - but talks stalled earlier this year and there has been no progress.

Isak is currently with Newcastle's squad in Austria for a training camp and they want to enhance their forward line by adding Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt but, so far, their bid has fallen way short of the German's expectations: they want €100m (£86m) for the France Under-21 international.

Mail Sport understands Newcastle have bid £70m for Ekitike - a player in whom Liverpool also retain an interest - but the structure of what they have offered doesn't tally with what Frankfurt want; it has been a challenging window so far for Newcastle, who have agreed to sell Sean Longstaff to Leeds.

The fee for Isak would surpass the total £116m which they could shell out for Wirtz if all add-ons clauses are met

Liverpool have been determined to add a striker to their ranks since they secured their 20th title and while Isak represents the ideal choice, it is very much the club's modus operandi to have other targets in mind should they be required.

Aside from Isak and Etikete, Liverpool have discussed Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and Yoane Wissa, the livewire Brentford forward who was close to joining Arsenal in January. 

Victor Osimhen has also been mentioned during talks with Napoli over Darwin Nunez.

Another intriguing detail is the fact Manchester United's Marcus Rashford's name was floated during a conversation but nothing progressed beyond that; there is little potential for that to be resurrected, given the question marks about his form in recent seasons.

Eddie Howe's side have already bid £70m for Hugo Ekitike, a sign they could be planning for life without Isak

This is an exceptionally busy period for Liverpool, who on Tuesday immediately rebuffed an offer for Luis Diaz from Bayern Munich. 

The German champions made a £58.5m proposal for the Colombia international but that is miles short of the Anfield club's £86m valuation.

That figure is identical to fee Manchester United rejected for their captain Bruno Fernandes from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal at the beginning of June. 

Diaz, who is two years younger than the Portuguese, was the subject of firm interest from Al Nassr.

Newcastle are currently away in Austria for their pre-season training camp (pic: Eddie Howe)

In a situation that mirrors Isak's position on Tyneside, though, sources in Colombia have told Mail Sport that while Diaz has huge affection for Liverpool, he doesn't believe his current salary represents his value to the club. There have been no signs of them renewing the 28-year-old's terms.

Barcelona have also been persistently linked with Diaz but they have not made any contact. 

Liverpool, clearly, will offload some of their squad in the coming weeks. Napoli are the only club to make contact over Darwin Nunez but their offer of £55m, including add-ons, was miles short.

Nunez, who scored in the 3-1 win at Preston last Sunday, was Liverpool's club record signing in 2022 at £84m and the intention is to recoup £70m. England Under-21 pair Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton also have admirers.

- DOMINIC KING

FLUMINENSE VS. AL HILAL | FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

 

MANCHESTER CITY SCORE CONTROVERSIAL GOAL VS. AL HILAL | FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

 

AL HILAL SHOCK MAN CITY TO ADVANCE TO CLUB WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINALS

Al Hilal pulled off a sensational win over Manchester City in Florida, securing a 4-3 extra-time victory over the English giants to advance to the quarter-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup.

Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal of the match in the 112th minute after the game ended 2-2 after 90 minutes. Phil Foden's goal in first-half extra time set up a nervy finish, but the Saudi Arabian side held on to claim a famous victory, and with it a place in the last eight where they will face Brazil's Fluminense on Friday.

Bernardo Silva gave City a ninth-minute lead but Pep Guardiola’s side were punished for missing a series of chances as Leonardo and Malcom replied after the break.

Erling Haaland sent the game to extra time but City needed another equaliser from Phil Foden after Kalidou Koulibaly headed Al Hilal back ahead.

The decisive goal came after Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's header was well saved by City goalkeeper Ederson, but the ball fell kindly for Leonardo, who slotted into an empty net to spark wild celebrations on the Hilal bench led by new coach Simone Inzaghi.

"We knew it was a difficult game against one of the best teams in the world," said Koulibaly. "We wanted to show our ideas, our talent, our power, and I think that we made a very good game.

"Defensively, we were very strong and offensively, all of the opportunities we could put inside we put in, so we can be happy."

Guardiola will rue a wasteful first-half display, while credit must also go to Hilal's Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine "Bono" Bounou, who made 10 saves in all.

City started quickly with Ruben Dias heading straight at Bono. There was a hint of handball in the build-up to City's opener, with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Ilkay Gundogan both given the benefit of the doubt, before Silva prodded home the Algerian's cross.

Al Hilal players surrounded referee Jesus Valenzuela but the Venezuelan was unmoved.

City should have extended their lead before half time but Bono denied Savinho, Gundogan, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku.

Silva had a shot parried but, after riding their luck, Al Hilal went close through Leonardo and Malcom.

City failed to heed those warnings and were punished as Al Hilal struck twice in the first seven minutes of the second half.

The equaliser came as former City full-back Joao Cancelo drove in a low cross. Ederson pushed away and Malcom’s attempt on the rebound was blocked, but the ball looped up for Leonardo to head in.

City were stung again moments later as Al Hilal quickly recycled the ball from a corner they were defending.

Malcom broke from halfway and buried a low shot into the far corner.

City needed to respond and did so as a Silva corner led to a goalmouth scramble.

Haaland pounced from close range to level but, far from settling nerves, the Premier League side remained vulnerable.

Malcom was brought down by Dias for what seemed a certain penalty only for an offside flag to spare City. It also took a good recovery tackle by Manuel Akanji to prevent Malcom getting in another shot and Mohamed Kanno fluffed a free header.

City were inches away as Akanji headed against the post and Haaland’s follow-up was cleared off the line.

City, who lost Haaland to injury, were stunned when Al Hilal reclaimed the lead with Koulibaly’s powerful header in the first period of extra time.

Yet the drama was far from over as Foden, having come off the bench to replace another substitute in the ineffective Rodri, exquisitely volleyed in from a Rayan Cherki cross.

Al Hilal refused to lie down and scored yet again as Leonardo pounced.

It capped what has been a disappointing year for City, who surrendered their Premier League crown and finished the season without a trophy having also lost the FA Cup final.

But while City's sojourn may be over, Al Hilal's will continue when they return to the same stadium on Friday to play for a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals.

- Steve Luckings

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP A

RONALDO BOLSTERS AL NASSR"S ACL KNOCKOUT BID; TONEY GUIDES AL AHLI

Cristiano Ronaldo netted a pair of goals in Al Nassr's Asian Champions League win over Al Gharafa at Al-Bayt Stadium on Monday.

Ronaldo was a frustrated figure in the opening 45 minutes, but headed in the opener inside the first minute of the second half to send his side on their way to victory.

Angelo Gabriel rounded goalkeeper Sergio Rico to score the second 12 minutes later and Ronaldo hit the third in the 64th minute as Al Nassr move onto 13 points from their opening five games despite Joselu's late consolation for the home side.

Al Nassr will aim to extend their winning run when they face Qatari side Al Sadd next Tuesday, while Al Gharafa take on Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney came off the bench to score twice and earn Al Ahli a 2-1 win over Al-Ain on Monday that moves the Saudi side into the knockout rounds and leaves the defending champions in danger of missing out on the round of 16.

Toney replaced Feras Al-Brikan in the 65th minute at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and hit both his goals in a four-minute spell to give Al Ahli a fifth win in a row in the competition and guarantee their place in the next phase.

Teams finishing in the top eight in the 12-team leagues in west and east Asia progress to the knockout rounds in March and Al Ahli have confirmed their place with three games remaining in the league phase.

Toney broke the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining when he headed Riyad Mahrez's free kick past Khalid Eisa and, four minutes later, he doubled the advantage when he combined again with the former Manchester City winger to slide in the second.

Defending champions Al-Ain had picked up only one point from four games prior to hosting Al Ahli on Monday and Alejandro Romero's goal three minutes into injury time gave new coach Leonardo Jardim and his team hope of a late comeback.

But Al Ahli held on to move to the top of the western standings, three points ahead of compatriots Al Hilal, who face Qatar's Al-Sadd on Tuesday, while Al-Ain remain rooted to the bottom on a solitary point with three games remaining.

Information from Reuters was used in this story.

- ESPN News Services

NEYMAR SUBBED OFF WITH INJURY

Neymar felt his thigh in Al Hilal vs Esteghlal
Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images via AFP

Neymar made his second appearance for Al Hilal as he continues his return following a year-long absence due to an ACL tear, but it didn't last long.

The Brazil international came on in the 58th minute of his team's 3-0 win in an Asian Champions League Elite match on Monday, but was subbed off less than 30 minutes later after going to ground and grabbing the back of his right leg having seemed to pull up while stretching his leg out for the ball in the penalty area.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a hat trick to lead Al Hilal to the win and put them at the top of the league phase table of the Asian Champions League

Neymar saw his first action for Al Hilal, who he joined in 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain, on Oct. 21, but hadn't played again until Wednesday's game against Esteghlal as he cannot be registered for Saudi Pro League games until January.

Al Hilal had planned a slow return for Brazil's all-time leading scorer, who suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury during Brazil's qualifier against Uruguay shortly after joining the Saudi side and underwent surgery last November.

Neymar was also left off Brazil's latest squad for a pair of November World Cup qualifiers, with coach Dorival saying the team and federation didn't want to rush his return to the national team.

Brazil are fourth in their World Cup qualifying group, four points adrift of leaders Argentina after 10 games.

Information from Reuters was used in this story.

- ESPN News Services

NEYMAR MAKES AL HILAL RETURN AFTER 12-INJURY LAYOFF

Neymar has made his first appearance in over a year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament tear, coming off the bench in the second half of Al Hilal's AFC Champions League Elite clash against Al Ain.

The Brazil star replaced Nasser Al Dawsari in the 77th minute, just after Salem Al Dawsari had scored to put Al Hilal 5-3 ahead. He nearly made an instant impact, exchanging passes with Aleksandar Mitrovic to create space before firing his shot just wide of the left-hand post.

The game finished 5-4 to Al Hilal after the United Arab Emirates-based Al Ain scored a last-gasp penalty to narrow the scoreline.

On the pitch after the full-time whistle, Neymar said: "I feel good... I always have a good team. I'm so happy. I'm back! I'm back!

The former Paris Saint-Germain player suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury during Brazil's qualifier against Uruguay shortly after joining the Saudi Pro League (SPL). He underwent surgery last November.

Neymar had joined the Al Hilal in August 2023 from PSG in a €90 million transfer, but played just five games before suffering the injury.

Neymar made his first appearance in over a year for Al Hilal. Francois Nel/Getty Images

Neymar's former club Santos congratulated the player on his return in a post on X.

"It was more than 12 months away from the field, with an immeasurable longing to return to doing what he loves so much," the Brazilian club wrote.

"Neymar is not just a star. It's not just genius. Neymar is synonymous with joy in football. His return is the happiness of millions of fans around the world. And, when it comes to fans, the Santos nation has an incomparable feeling. A more than special bond with the best Brazilian player of recent years."

The forward, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, missed the 2024 Copa América that was won by Argentina.

He is eligible to play in the AFC Champions League as there are no restrictions on the number of foreign players. However, he will only be able to be registered in January for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season.

SPL teams have limits to the number of foreign players that can be registered.

Eight foreign players born before 2003 can be registered for the squad, while the rules allow for two foreign players born in 2003 or after. Neymar's contract with Al Hilal expires in June 2025.

Saudi champions Al Hilal, coached by Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus, lead the domestic standings having won all seven of their games.

Brazil's Football Confederation (CBF), meanwhile, are hopeful of having Neymar available in time for the November World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.

Brazil are fourth in their World Cup qualifying group, four points adrift of leaders Argentina after 10 games.

- Adriana Garcia

NEYMAR COULD RETURN FROM INJURY NEXT WEEK -;SOURCES

Neymar has been sidelined for a year. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

Brazil forward Neymar has made significant improvement on his knee recovery and could be fit to play on Oct. 21, sources told ESPN Brasil on Monday.

The Al Hilal star has been sidelined for a year since sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee while on international duty with Brazil.

Neymar, 32, returned to train with Al Hilal on Sept. 29. People closely monitoring Neymar's progress believe the player could return to play in time for Al Hilal's Asian Champions League game at Al Ain on Oct. 21.

Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus will have the final say on when Neymar will return to action.

However, he will first need the approval of Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, who carried out Neymar's surgery.

Lasmar is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to evaluate the player's fitness.

Neymar, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, joined the Saudi Pro League side in August 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain but played just five games before getting hurt.

Brazil's Football Confederation is monitoring the situation closely and is hopeful of having Neymar available in time for the November World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.

- Adriana Garcia

AL-HILAL CLOSE TO SIGNING MAN CITY'S JOÂO CANCELO - SOURCE

João Cancelo is close to leaving Manchester City. Masashi Hara/Getty Images

Al Hilal are closing in on the signing of João Cancelo from Manchester City, a source has told ESPN.

The Portugal international is set to move to the Saudi Pro League in a deal worth an initial £21 million ($28m). Cancelo is close to agreeing a contract worth around £15m a year.

The 30-year-old hasn't played for City for 18 months after loan spells at Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

The defender returned to training in Manchester this summer, but was omitted from the squad for the first two Premier League games against Chelsea and Ipswich Town.

He will leave City after playing more than 150 games and winning the Premier League title three times. He was also twice named in the PFA Premier League team of the year in 2021 and 2022.

Cancelo last played for City in January 2023 before a shock loan move to Bayern Munich. The German side decided against making the deal permanent and last summer he joined Barcelona on loan for the 2023-24 campaign.

Barcelona have shown interest again this summer but their limited financial resources has allowed Al Hilal to move ahead in the race for his signature.

The SPL side turned their attention to Cancelo, who has also had spells at Benfica, Valencia and Juventus, after being told Kyle Walker was not available.

Al Hilal have also considered a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.

Sources have told ESPN that City are still considering adding another attacking player to their squad before Friday's transfer deadline.

Pep Guardiola is understood to be comfortable with his options after the return of midfielder Ilkay Gündogan from Barcelona but work is being done to assess a number of strikers following the departure of Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid.

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

VAR DENIES RONALDO, AL NASSR WINNER IN SAUDI PRO LEAGUE OPENER

Cristiano Ronaldo endured a frustrating start to the Saudi Pro League season on Thursday after what looked to be his winning goal for Al Nassr was ruled out by the video assistant referee.

Ronaldo found the net for the second time with 15 minutes remaining in Al Nassr's home game against Al Raed on the opening day of the new season. However, following a long check by VAR, he was ruled offside.

That left the match to finish 1-1, despite Ronaldo putting his side ahead in the first half. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who set a league record last season with 35 goals, grabbed his first goal of the new campaign with a powerful close-range header in the 34th minute.

The goal was Ronaldo's 50th in 48 games in the Saudi Pro League.

But Al Raed, who finished 12th last season, levelled the score through Mohammed Fouzair four minutes into the second half.

Adding to the irritation for Ronaldo and his team, Al Nassr were denied a penalty for handball deep into second-half stoppage time, despite the referee reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor. 

Ronaldo is still seeking his first major trophy since joining Al Nassr following his exit from Manchester United in December 2022.

After finishing runners-up to Al Hilal in both the Saudi Pro League and Saudi King's Cup last season, Al Nassr were again beaten by the Riyadh side in the Saudi Super Cup on Saturday.

Game Information

Al Awal Park at King Saud University

9:00 PM, August 22, 2024

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Over/Under: 3.5

Attendance: 8,951

Referees: Khalid Saleh Al-Turais

- ESPN 

HERNÁN CRESPO EXACTS REVENGE ON AL HILAL AS AL AIN REACH AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Al Ain are through to the 2023-24 AFC Champions League decider after Hernán Crespo masterminded an impressive 5-4 aggregate victory in the semifinals over tournament favourites Al Hilal. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

 Last February, with Al Hilal looming ominous in their charge towards what would end in a record-extending fourth AFC Champions League title, one team looked a legitimate chance to stop them in the semifinals.

Al Duhail, who had racked up five wins and 17 goals in the group stage and then saw Al Rayyan and Al Shabab in the previous stages of the knockout round, seemed a match for Al Hilal.

It proved anything but as Al Hilal produced a stunning performance to inflict a humbling 7-0 defeat on their Qatari opponents and their shellshocked coach Hernán Crespo.

Crespo will not have fond memories of that ill-fated evening in Doha and -- having taken over at United Arab Emirates' Al Ain since leaving Al Duhail in October -- he might have been forgiven for feeling a sense of unease after his new team's impressive run in this year's ACL saw him once again pitted against Al Hilal in the semis.

An Al Hilal outfit that has only gotten stronger this season following the huge government-backed investment in four of the Saudi Pro League's powerhouses.

While the previous Al Hilal iteration which Crespo had to deal with was already formidable enough with the likes of Odion Ighalo, Moussa Marega and André Carrillo to call upon, the current team boasts genuine world-class names -- at the peak of their powers no less -- in the form of Aleksandar Mitrović, Rúben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinković-Savić, even if the biggest star of all in Neymar is missing through injury.

It was a far different story in last season's AFC Champions League for Hernán Crespo -- then in charge of Qatar's Al Duhail -- as his side were handed a humbling 7-0 semifinal loss by Al Hilal. Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

But, with a stunning display in last week's first leg, Al Ain turned the tie on its head by claiming a shock 4-2 win after racing to a three-goal lead inside the opening 38 minutes.

The situation would have been even more dire for Al Hilal had they not pulled a second goal back late on.

Yet, it would prove a bridge too far for Al Hilal as Al Ain did enough with a 2-1 loss in Tuesday's return encounter to seal a 5-4 aggregate triumph and a place in next month's final.

Especially after the humbling 7-0 loss with Al Duhail, this result went some way in providing redemption for Crespo, the former Argentina star striker who has quietly gone about establishing his managerial career in South America and now Asia.

Leading Defensa y Justicia to a maiden continental title in the Copa Sudamericana in 2020 was followed with a state league triumph in Brazil with São Paulo, while he also led Al Duhail to the treble of the Qatar Stars League, Qatar Cup and Qatari Stars Cup.

After missing out of the AFC Champions League proper in the past two seasons, Al Ain have done remarkably well to reach the final for the first time since 2016 -- and at the expense of defending champions Al Hilal no less. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

Still, Crespo could just better all those achievements should he be able to take Al Ain one step further and win the ACL.

After all, while Al Ain have been crowned champions of Asia previously in 2003, they have not enjoyed the best of times on the continental stage recently.

They failed to make it out of the group stage in their previous two appearances, while missing out on the competition proper completely in the past two editions.

It has not been just Al Ain but all of Emirati football that has struggled of late, as the West Asia Zone of the ACL has found itself dominated by teams from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar in the last few years.

Prior to this campaign, no team from United Arab Emirates managed to make it further than the quarterfinals since Al Ain themselves last reached the last four in 2016.

Now, they can lay claim to once again being the best of the West.

And if Crespo can continue to get the best out his charges, a run that has already seen them oust two giants -- having also accounted for another Saudi Pro League powerhouse in Al Nassr back in the quarterfinals -- could just culminate in Al Ain becoming kings of Asia once again for the first time in over two decades.

- Gabriel Tan

SAUDI SOCCER.CLUB AL HILAL AIMS FOR WORLD RECORD WINS

AP Photo 

 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Hilal will target a 28th straight win in competitive games on Tuesday that could set a world record for a top-tier team.

Fueled by Serbia forward Aleksandar Mitrović’s goals during Neymar’s long-term injury, Al Hilal aims for the record in a second-leg game in the Asian Champions League quarterfinals against domestic rival Al Ittihad.

The recognized wins record of 27 was set by The New Saints in the 2016-17 season. The Welsh team took the mark from the great Ajax side inspired by Johan Cruyff in 1971-72.

Al Hilal’s dominating season follows the club spending about 350 million euros ($380 million) on player transfers after being effectively nationalized by the Saudi sovereign wealth operation, the Public Investment Fund. It is controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The streak includes 16 games in the Saudi league, three in the domestic cup and eight in the Asian Champions League.

“It’s a world record but it’s not a title,” coach Jorge Jesus said. “Titles are the league, the cup and the Asian Champions League.”

The last time the team did not win was on Sept. 21 in a 1-1 draw against league rival Damac. Four weeks later, Neymar suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Brazil.

On Tuesday, the Riyadh club takes a 2-0 lead to Jeddah to face Al Ittihad. The winner advances to the semifinals against Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.

NEYMAR TO MISS 2024 COPA AMÉRICA IN U.S. - BRAZIL DOCTOR

Neymar will spend a lengthy spell on the sideline due to a knee injury suffered against Uruguay. EPA/Raul Martinez

Brazil forward Neymar will miss the 2024 Copa América in the United States because of a serious knee injury he suffered in October, Brazilian team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Tuesday.

The Al Hilal star, 31, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during his country's World Cup qualifying loss to Uruguay on Oct. 17, before undergoing surgery two weeks later.

- The Copa América will begin on June 20 and run through the final on July 14.