SEOUL (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema have won a combined total of 11
UEFA Champions League titles 5️⃣ and, starting Monday, they lead the Saudi Arabian
challenge in the Asian edition.
Neymar, who last week surpassed Pele’s international
goal 5️⃣ tally for Brazil, arrived at Al-Hilal in August and made his league debut on
Friday as the four-time Asian champion 5️⃣ thrashed Abha 6-1. Hilal lost the final to Urawa
Reds of Japan last May.
Since then, Saudi Arabian clubs have spent 5️⃣ aroundR$950 million
on some of the biggest stars in the world. The spending is being fueled by a move by
5️⃣ the kingdom’s sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund to take a majority ownership
stake in four of the country’s top clubs, 5️⃣ Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and
Al-Nassr.
As well as Neymar, Al-Hilal has signed English Premier League stars Ruben
Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and 5️⃣ Aleksandar Mitrovic as well as Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine
Bounou, Brazilian winger Malcom and Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Mumbai
City has been 5️⃣ placed in the same group and the Indians are looking forward to a chance
to take on Hilal and especially 5️⃣ its Brazilian superstar.
“I think anyone that’s seen
the movement in some of these teams, and Neymar being the latest to 5️⃣ arrive there, it’s
exciting,” Mumbai’s coach Des Buckingham said. “They’re bringing that caliber and
quality of player to India, which 5️⃣ is going to be extremely exciting for us and for our
club but also for the fans of India.”
In total, 5️⃣ there are four Saudi Arabian
representatives among the 40 in the group stage with the ten group winners and the
5️⃣ six-best second -placed teams progressing to the second round.
After years of games
between Saudi Arabia and Iran being played in 5️⃣ neutral venues, Ronaldo will lead
Al-Nassr to Tehran on Tuesday to take on Persepolis. The visitor has never lifted the
5️⃣ Asian trophy.
Persepolis president Reza Darvish told local television earlier this
month that Al-Nassr will be provided with full access to 5️⃣ the internet, unlike the
general public in the country.
“I have spoken with the CEO of Irancell, and I told him
5️⃣ we want to give players and personnel Irancell SIM cards with unrestricted internet so
they can use it from the 5️⃣ time they enter Iran till the time they leave,” Darvish
said.
Al-Ittihad is Saudi Arabian champion and, as well as Benzema, 5️⃣ has brought in past
European winners such as N’Golo Kante from Chelsea and Fabinho from Liverpool. The
two-time Asian champion 5️⃣ starts against AGMK of Uzbekistan in Jeddah.
Al-Fayha completes
the Saudi quartet but is not owned, like the other three, by 5️⃣ the Public Investment Fund
and does not have the same star power. The team starts with a tough trip to 5️⃣ Uzbekistan
to take on Pakhtakor.
The tournament is not all about the Saudi Arabian teams as it is
split into geographic 5️⃣ zones until the final, ensuring a representative from the eastern
half of the continent next May.
Japan’s Urawa Reds is the 5️⃣ current champion and Ulsan
Hyundai Horang-i of South Korea lifted the trophy in 2024.
“We know that Saudi Arabian
teams will 5️⃣ provide strong opposition but the standard is rising all across Asia,” Ulsan
coach Hong Myong-bo said. “We have to focus 5️⃣ first on doing as well as we can .”
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AP
soccer: //apnews/hub/soccer
