The whites are aiming for their eighth world crown, fifth at the current format, against an Al-Hilal more dangerous than its name suggests
Being world champion is the best. There’s nothing out there. However, when it comes to football clubs, getting to the World Cup is more difficult than winning it, at least for the representative of Europe, who has been tyrannizing the tournament’s record for ten years. The epic Champions League lifted in Paris in May opens the doors for Real Madrid to what would become its eighth world title, its fifth in its current format plus three Intercontinental Cups won in 1960, 1998 and 2002.
Immersed in a plague of injuries that seems to be easing little by little, the white team is still dragging along the absences of Courtois, Lucas Vázquez, Mendy and Hazard, all four in Madrid. Asensio, with muscle pain, and Carvajal, suffering from a flu trial, were unavailable against Al-Ahly, but now recovered, they offer alternatives to Ancelotti. The Italian takes a breath after confirming that Benzema and Militao, who joined the expedition in Rabat during the flight, could have minutes even if they are not part of the starting eleven.
They are more guarantees of a commitment with a trophy at stake, but also a lot to lose. A slip in the ascent to the top of the world would create an earthquake in a team going through a delicate moment due to casualties and the great distance open in the competition with respect to Barça, a solid leader with an eight-point lead. Therefore, it is necessary to meet the World Cup for club teams before returning to domestic competition and playing the Champions League round of 16 against Liverpool at Anfield, an appointment marked in red on the calendar.
On the way to the title, only the Saudi Al-Hilal intervenes, a club with little name from the perspective of the Old Continent, although with some danger for a theoretically superior but confident rival, as the Saudi team already showed in their semi-final against Brazilian Flamengo. The current champions of the Copa Libertadores de América promised them luck, but the opponent who placed all bets against Madrid fell by the wayside.
The gradual weakening of Latin American club football, with talents packing their bags for Europe without reaching their twenties, and the growth of other markets, with major investments in Asia or North America, have led to the traditional dichotomy between the best in Europe and America , protagonists of the Intercontinental until 2004, has given way to new scenarios. However, the distance between the rest of the world and the champions of the Champions League has not narrowed, creating European dominance with an iron fist.
Saudi Arabia’s most successful club is also the breeding ground from which the country’s team thrives, which starred in one of the big upsets in the history of the competition at the recent World Cup in Qatar by defeating Messi’s Argentina on the opening day. defeat, eventually champion . Saudi football is in the spotlight following the media signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal’s major rival in the country and capital Riyadh. The development of national players, but also the huge salaries that attracted foreign footballers to an inhospitable destination in other times, explain the jump in quality.
Saudi Arabia has overtaken South Korea and Japan, the two Asian superpowers in club football, and Al-Hilal is already the continent’s most successful club with its four titles. As he already demonstrated against Flamengo, he has dangerous football players. Some are old acquaintances in Europe, such as former Porto player Moussa Marega. The winger from Mali is a key figure in the team led by Ramón Díaz.
Two football players with experience in the league also stand out. These are the Argentinian striker Luciano Vietto, the scorer in the semi-final against Flamengo and who went from more to less via Villarreal, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia, and the Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo, who stood out in the Grenade for several seasons. Among the Saudi base, Salem Al-Dawsari stands out, author of a double from the penalty spot in the semifinals and also one of the goals of the World Cup in Qatar, the one who beat Argentina and amazed the world.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
