Al Hilal stuns Manchester City 4-3 in Club World Cup on Marcos Leonardo's extra-time goal
In a back-and-forth thriller at Camping World Stadium, the Saudi Arabian club took the lead three times, including twice in extra time. Kalidou Koulibaly put Al Hilal ahead 3-2 in the 94th minute, but Phil Foden — who entered as a substitute four minutes earlier — equalized in the 104th.
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21 minutes ago
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ACC Football 2025 Predictions
ACC Football 2025 Predictions originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 college football season marks the second year of the ACC's 17-team alignment. Although last season produced two playoff teams (Clemson and SMU), the intrigue in this conference is significantly higher for '25. At the top of the ACC predictions is a familiar team: Clemson. The Tigers are a heavy favorite this fall thanks to the return of quarterback Cade Klubnik and a dynamic offense. Clemson is a threat to win the national title if coach Dabo Swinney's team continues to develop off last year's performance. Outside of the teams at the top, coaching storylines are another source of intrigue. North Carolina's hire of Bill Belichick is one of college football's biggest storylines, and Florida State coach Mike Norvell is on the hot seat after a 2-10 campaign in '24. Advertisement Miami aims to return to playoff consideration behind transfer quarterback Carson Beck, while SMU hopes to replicate last year's surprising success. Louisville and Georgia Tech headline the list of sleeper teams in the conference for '25. How does Athlon Sports project ACC for 2025? Steven Lassan predicts and ranks all 17 teams in ACC for this fall: ORDER NOW: Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview Guide ACC Football 2025 Predictions Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik © Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images ACC Championship: Clemson over Miami 1. Clemson Clemson snapped a streak of three years without a playoff trip in 2024. Coach Dabo Swinney's team returns nearly all of its main contributors and necessary pieces to make a run at the program's first national title since '18. Advertisement Quarterback Cade Klubnik showed massive growth in his second full season as the starter. Over 14 games, Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns and ran for 463 yards and seven scores. The senior is among the Heisman frontrunners this fall and will benefit from the development of a promising trio of receivers. TJ Moore, Bryant Wesco, and Antonio Williams headline one of the top groups of pass catchers in the nation. Clemson should also have one of the nation's top lines with four starters returning. True freshman Gideon Davidson could lead the backfield in '25. Clemson's defense has slipped a bit since the departure of coordinator Brent Venables to Oklahoma. Coach Dabo Swinney took steps to return the Tigers' defense to the top of college football by hiring veteran coordinator Tom Allen away from Penn State. Allen takes over a loaded group. Up front, TJ Parker and Peter Woods will contend for All-America honors, and the second level is stacked with Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz returning. Cornerbacks Avieon Terrell and Ashton Hampton and safety Khalil Barnes are back to anchor the back end. Related: College Football Top 25 for 2025 2. Miami Miami's 10-3 record in 2024 was the program's best mark under coach Mario Cristobal. However, the season was also a missed opportunity. A late November loss to Syracuse cost the 'Canes a chance to play for the ACC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Thanks to Cristobal's outstanding recruiting, Miami has the potential to erase last year's disappointment with another run at the postseason. Advertisement Miami must replace its top quarterback (Cam Ward), leading rusher (Damien Martinez), and its top five statistical receiving options from '24. However, this unit may not miss a beat if Georgia transfer quarterback Carson Beck is healthy after suffering a season-ending elbow injury in the SEC Championship. The Hurricanes can also lean on a standout offensive line and deep stable of running backs (headlined by Mark Fletcher). The receiving corps is expected to be a work in progress during the '25 season, but transfers CJ Daniels (LSU), Keelan Marion (BYU), and Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), and promising sophomore Joshisa Trader give Beck a solid group. After giving up 30.8 points in ACC play and struggling to stop the pass, Cristobal revamped the defense this offseason by hiring Minnesota coordinator Corey Hetherman. Additionally, a handful of defensive backs from the portal were added to shore up a leaky secondary. A healthy year from defensive end Rueben Bain should make a big difference in the pass rush and overall play of the front. Optimism is high in Coral Gables for improvement on this side of the ball. Related: ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025 3. SMU SMU QB Kevin Jennings Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images SMU won't sneak up on the rest of the ACC after a surprising 11-3 finish and a trip to the College Football Playoff last year. However, coach Rhett Lashlee's team has plenty of staying power - even against a tougher schedule and significant personnel turnover. Advertisement Quarterback Kevin Jennings is a big reason why the Mustangs can make another run at the ACC title. After taking over for Preston Stone early in the '24 campaign, Jennings emerged as one of the top signal-callers in the ACC by averaging 257.1 total yards a contest. With standout running back Brashard Smith and three key receivers departing, Jennings will have to shoulder more of the offensive focus in '25. Tight end RJ Maryland's return from a season-ending injury is a boost to the passing attack. With just two starters back, replicating last year's defensive performance (No. 1 in the ACC in fewest points allowed) will be a huge challenge for coordinator Scott Symons. Reinforcements for the front are coming from the transfer portal, while Ahmaad Moses and Isaiah Nwokobia form one of the top safety duos in the nation. 4. Louisville Coach Jeff Brohm has returned Louisville to the top tier of the ACC with a 19-8 record over the last two seasons. The Cardinals are also 12-4 in conference play in that span. Despite some significant roster turnover (eight returning starters), Brohm's ability to mesh transfers with returning personnel and a manageable schedule should allow this program to push for a spot in the ACC Championship. Advertisement Brohm's track record of getting the most out of his quarterbacks will be put to the test once again in '25. USC transfer Miller Moss is talented but was also inconsistent at times last season. A fresh start in Louisville and the opportunity to learn from Brohm should aid in his development. Also, the Cardinals return one of college football's deepest backfields with Isaac Brown and Duke Watson leading the way. Chris Bell, Caullin Lacy, and a handful of transfers form the foundation of a strong receiving corps. Brohm's biggest concern on offense is up front on a rebuilt line. However, there's a good mix of experience and potential impact additions from the portal. Louisville has room to improve on defense after giving up 5.6 yards per play and struggling with big plays allowed in the secondary (19 completions allowed of 40-plus yards). Coordinator Ron English is counting on a handful of transfers to provide help on the back end. The strength of this unit is at linebacker with TJ Quinn and Stanquan Clark back in the mix. Related: Ranking the ACC's Coaches for 2025 5. Georgia Tech The Yellow Jackets have posted back-to-back winning records (5-3) in ACC play for the first time since 2013-14. With the program on stable footing and nine returning starters, coach Brent Key's team has its sights set on contending for a spot in the conference championship game. Advertisement Quarterback Haynes King battled injuries for a good chunk of the '24 season but still averaged 245.5 total yards a game under coordinator Buster Faulkner. With a full offseason to return to full strength, King is entrenched as one of the ACC's top signal-callers. And he's got plenty of help at the skill spots despite receiver Eric Singleton's transfer to Auburn. Key landed a pair of receivers - Dean Patterson and Eric Rivers - from FIU in the portal to support Malik Rutherford on the outside. Also, the ground game is in great shape with first-team Athlon Sports' All-ACC running back Jamal Haynes. A revamped line (three new starters) is the biggest concern. Change on the defensive side is Georgia Tech's biggest unknown for 2025. New coordinator Blake Gideon is a first-time play-caller, and there are holes to fill with only four returning starters. Linebacker Kyle Efford (64 tackles) and tackle Jordan van den Berg anchor the front. How Gideon handles some turnover in the secondary and develops the pass rush will determine just how much this unit can improve this fall. 6. Duke Duke coach Manny DiazSam Navarro-Imagn Images The Blue Devils exceeded all preseason expectations last season with a 9-4 finish in coach Manny Diaz's debut. Improving on nine victories won't be easy with a schedule featuring non-conference games against Illinois and Tulane, along with ACC road trips to Syracuse, California, North Carolina, and Clemson. However, Duke has plenty of staying power in '25. Advertisement Tulane transfer Darian Mensah was one of the top quarterback additions of the offseason and is a big reason why the Blue Devils should improve on last year's production (5.2 yards a play). A healthy Jaquez Moore will boost the ground attack after being limited to five games in '24. Four starters are back to form one of the ACC's top offensive lines. Despite dealing with major personnel turnover, Diaz maintained Duke's solid level of defensive play from former coach Mike Elko. The Blue Devils held ACC teams to 5.01 yards a snap and tied for the conference lead in sacks (43) last year. With six starters back, expectations are high for this unit. Cornerback Chandler Rivers and safety Terry Moore are among the top returning defensive backs in the nation. 7. Florida State From 13-1 and winning the ACC in 2023 to 2-10 last season, Florida State has experienced a crazy swing of performance in just two years. Last season's disaster prompted coach Mike Norvell to make major staff changes and another hefty portal class is coming to Tallahassee to get the program back on track. Advertisement A lackluster offense (15.4 points a game) was primarily to blame for the 'Noles decline. Whether it was lackluster play by the quarterbacks, poor performance by the offensive line, or receivers failing to get open, every area of the offense played a role. Solving all of the issues in one offseason is impossible, but Norvell took steps to find improvement by landing UCF head coach Gus Malzahn as the new play-caller and picked quarterback Thomas Castellanos (Boston College) from the portal to direct the offense. Expect transfers (Duce Robinson and Squirrel White) to improve the receiving corps, while portal additions from '25 could take four starting spots on the offensive line. The offense wasn't the only area Florida State underachieved last season. After limiting teams to 19.3 points a game in 2023, the Seminoles allowed 28 a contest and struggled to get off the field on third downs. New coordinator Tony White is one of the offseason's top hires and won't lack talent to generate improvement. Up front, Darrell Jackson and James Williams should be All-ACC performers. The linebacker play should improve thanks to transfers and the development of Omar Graham. Cornerback Jeremiah Wilson was a key spring pickup out of the portal. Related: College Football Top 25 for 2025 8. Pitt A promising 7-0 start for the Panthers quickly fell apart in 2024. Injuries to quarterback Eli Holstein and running back Desmond Reid played a major role in the team finishing on a six-game losing streak. With both players back this fall, exceeding last year's win total is a reasonable expectation for coach Pat Narduzzi's team. Advertisement Holstein and Reid form a dynamic duo for coordinator Kade Bell, but they should have help from a line returning three starters, along with a receiving corps that returns Kenny Johnson and Raphael Williams Jr. Taking better care of the ball (20 lost turnovers in '24) is a priority for this unit. Narduzzi's defenses are usually solid and that should be the case again in '25. Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles are back to form one of the nation's top linebacker tandems. Junior Jimmy Scott (12.5 TFL in '24) anchors the edge, with Sean FitzSimmons and Nick James back to man the interior. After allowing only 5.2 yards a snap last year, concerns about this unit are minimal. But the Panthers must replace two starters in the secondary, including All-ACC safety Donovan McMillon. 9. North Carolina North Carolina coach Bill BelichickJim Dedmon-Imagn Images All eyes in college football will be on Chapel Hill this season thanks to Bill Belichick's arrival. Watching how Belichick's lack of collegiate experience (especially in the portal and NIL era) and his x's and o's ability to get the most out of the roster is easily one - if not the No. 1 - storyline in the nation this year. The 73-year-old coach also reshaped the roster through the portal by bringing in over 40 transfers and has a favorable schedule for his debut in Carolina Blue. Advertisement When you combine the coaching change and significant roster turnover, this team is full of unknowns entering '25. One of the few certainties is likely to be at quarterback with South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez, while three starters are back up front. The Tar Heels will miss running back Omarion Hampton. Transfers must emerge at receiver to take the pressure off of Kobe Paysour. The unknown theme continues on defense. Belichick's ability to get the most out of the roster should shine here, especially as the Tar Heels bring back only two starters and are counting on a handful of transfers to make an instant impact. Related: ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025 10. NC State Last season's 6-7 record was NC State's first losing mark since 2019, but coach Dave Doeren still guided the program to its fifth straight bowl appearance. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball, along with the development of promising quarterback CJ Bailey, could the Wolfpack make a big jump in the ACC standings? Advertisement Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey is Doeren's biggest reason for optimism in '25. As a true freshman last year, Bailey threw for 2,413 yards and 14 touchdowns and finished sixth among ACC signal-callers in completion rate (64.9 percent). New play-caller Kurt Roper aims to take Bailey's game to the next level and having talented pass catchers in tight end Justin Joly and receivers Noah Rogers and Justin Grimes can aid in that development. Running back Hollywood Smothers (571 yards in '24) is poised for a breakout year. New coordinator D.J. Eliot inherits a defense that ranked 15th in the ACC in points allowed per contest (29.7) and is navigating significant offseason turnover in the secondary. Linebackers Caden Fordham and Sean Brown form a solid second level, while Temple transfer Tra Thomas could boost a pass rush that generated only 16 sacks in ACC play last season. 11. Virginia Tech The Hokies entered 2024 with high expectations and optimism following a 7-6 season. But instead of a step forward, injuries hit this team hard and coach Brent Pry's team needed a late victory over Virginia on Nov. 30 just to get bowl eligible. Is a large transfer haul and staff changes enough for the program to show improvement in what could be a make-or-break year for Pry? Advertisement After battling injuries throughout the '24 season, a healthy year from quarterback Kyron Drones should be a huge boost for this offense under new coordinator Philip Montgomery. Additionally, the portal brought help for the skill spots. Running backs Terion Stewart (Bowling Green), Brayden Bennett (Coastal Carolina), and Marcellous Hawkins (Central Missouri), and receivers Cam Seldon (Tennessee) and Donavon Greene (Wake Forest) are impact pickups. How dynamic this offense is likely hinges on a line with five new starters. Former NFL assistant Sam Siefkes takes over the defensive play-calling duties and a lengthy offseason to-do list. The Hokies bring back only two starters but added several intriguing pieces from the portal, including linemen Ben Bell (Texas State) and James Djonkam (Eastern Michigan) and defensive back Tyson Flowers (Rice). Virginia Tech allowed only 22.8 points a game last season but gave up too many big plays and struggled to get off the field on third downs. Related: College Football Top 25 for 2025 12. Boston College Bill O'Brien's return to the college ranks resulted in a solid 7-6 debut for the Eagles last year. With a schedule that features nine bowl games, exceeding preseason expectations once again and challenging for a finish in the top half of the conference won't be easy. Advertisement FIU transfer Grayson James took over the starting quarterback job in November last season and played well in his first extended action at Boston College. However, James isn't guaranteed the job in '25, as Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan impressed in the spring and the battle will continue into the fall. A rebuilt offensive line with three new starters looms as O'Brien's biggest concern. The Eagles have capable weapons at the skill spots, including running backs Turbo Richard and Jordan McDonald, along with receivers Lewis Bond and Reed Harris. The linebacker unit and defensive backfield should be the strength of Boston College's '25 defense. Getting cornerback Amari Jackson back in the lineup after missing a chunk of '24 due to a knee injury is a huge plus for coordinator Tim Lewis. Question marks remain up front with the departure of standout end Donovan Ezeiruaku (16.5 sacks in '24). 13. Syracuse Syracuse coach Fran Brown© D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images First-year coach Fran Brown brought a much-needed spark to Syracuse last year and delivered one of the best seasons by a coach in his debut in '24. The Orange won 10 games for the first time since '18 and capped the year with a victory over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. With arguably the toughest schedule in the ACC, replicating 10 wins again won't be easy. Advertisement In addition to a brutal schedule, losing quarterback Kyle McCord to the NFL is another factor in a projected decline for Syracuse in '25. LSU transfer Rickie Collins won the battle to replace McCord in the spring, but Steve Angeli will arrive from Notre Dame to push for the job in the summer. Yasin Willis is poised for a breakout year as the team's No. 1 back, with transfers expected to restock the offensive line and receiving corps. Losing top target Trebor Pena to Penn State in the spring was a setback. Brown's defense is also in transition with only three starters returning. Linebacker Derek McDonald and defensive backs Devin Grant and Duce Chestnut headline the top returners for coordinator Elijah Robinson. True freshman cornerback Demetres Samuel Jr. is poised to emerge as a key contributor on the back end. Improving the rush defense (5.3 yards a carry allowed in ACC games) is a priority. Related: ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025 14. Virginia Virginia is coming off its best season (5-7) under coach Tony Elliott. However, with an 11-23 overall mark, the '25 campaign could be a make-or-break year for this staff. Fortunately for Elliott, the Cavaliers had a successful offseason with additions through the transfer portal to fortify the roster and make a push for six wins. Advertisement The list of impact transfers starts with quarterback Chandler Morris. The Texas native ranked seventh nationally (308.9 total yards a game) at North Texas in total offense a contest in '24 and should be the best quarterback for this program since Brennan Armstrong. North Carolina Central transfer J'Mari Taylor should team with Xavier Brown to form a solid one-two punch out of the backfield. Portal additions in Jayden Thomas (Notre Dame) and Jahmal Edrine (Purdue) restock a receiving corps looking to replace No. 1 target Malachi Fields. For this unit to take off, improvement is needed up front - a task made more difficult with a season-ending injury to tackle Monroe Mills in spring practice and a late transfer by Blake Steen. Six starters return on a defense that allowed 30.8 points a contest in ACC play last year. Top safety Jonas Sanker will be missed, but the Cavaliers added help at every level through the portal. Adding talent and depth to the secondary was a priority with several additions joining the team in the spring. Improving a pass rush that managed only 19 sacks last season is also crucial. 15. California The 2024 season provided plenty of roller coaster moments for California. The program won six games in their ACC debut last season but also lost five contests by one score. The in-season chaos carried into the offseason with a handful of key players transferring out of Berkeley, new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and former NFL coach Ron Rivera hired as general manager of the program. Advertisement New coordinator Bryan Harsin won't have the luxury of working with quarterback Fernando Mendoza (transferred to Indiana) or running back Jaydn Ott (transferred to Oklahoma). But the Golden Bears still have plenty of intriguing pieces. Ohio State transfer Devin Brown will battle touted freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to start in '25. Wilcox and Harsin rebuilt the skill positions through the portal, adding running backs LJ Johnson (SMU) and Kendrick Raphael (NC State) and receivers Jayden Dixon-Veal (Purdue), Jacob De Jesus (UNLV), Mark Hamper (Idaho/Wisconsin), and Quaron Adams (South Dakota). Portal additions will also be counted upon to improve a line that allowed 50 sacks in '24. Defense wasn't California's problem last year. The Golden Bears held teams to 4.99 yards a snap and 22.3 points a contest. However, standout linebacker Teddye Buchanan leaves big shoes to fill on the second level, and cornerback Nohl Williams (seven interceptions in '24) will be missed. Just three starters are back, and similar to the offense, Wilcox landed a handful of transfers to push for snaps. 16. Wake Forest Wake Forest running back Demond ClaiborneNeville E. Guard-Imagn Images Dave Clawson leaves big shoes to fill on Wake Forest's sideline after a successful 11-year run atop the program. New coach Jake Dickert thrived in a tough situation at Washington State, and although Clawson will be missed, new energy from the staff is not necessarily a bad thing for the Demon Deacons. Advertisement The offense is likely to be a work in progress with just two starters back for new play-caller Rob Ezell. Transfers are counted on to fill voids right away along a line that's completely revamped, along with a receiving corps losing its top four players from last season. A pair of transfers - Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie - are likely to battle for the starting job under center. Regardless of which quarterback takes the snaps, Ezell should lean heavily on running back (and one of the ACC's most underrated players) Demond Claiborne. Dickert's defense has plenty of question marks after giving up 32.5 points a contest in '24. However, this unit returns more experience and production than the offense, offering a chance for faster improvement under the new staff. Linebacker Dylan Hazen and defensive backs Nick Andersen and Davaughn Patterson headline the key returnees for new coordinator Scottie Hazelton. 17. Stanford After coach Troy Taylor's dismissal in the spring, Stanford's hopes of improvement in '25 suffered a significant setback. Former NFL coach Frank Reich will guide this program on an interim basis this fall, with former Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck conducting a search for the full-time replacement. Advertisement The Cardinal averaged only 21 points in ACC play last season and need to show major strides to have any shot at a bowl. Promising redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Brown takes the offensive reins after limited playing time in three games last year. Tight end Sam Roush should be among the best in the ACC at his position, and Brown should be able to lean on transfers CJ Williams (Wisconsin), Caden High (South Carolina State), and Jordan Onovughe (Colorado) to alleviate the loss of receiver Emmett Mosley V (transfer to Texas in the spring). Losing lineman David Bailey to transfer (Texas Tech) was a setback in the spring, but the Cardinal still return six starters and a good bit of experience. Will that translate into improvement for co-coordinators Bobby April and Andy Thompson? Better play in the secondary would go a long way towards helping the overall unit. Stanford ranked 17th in the ACC in pass efficiency defense and surrendered 31 passing scores. Related: College Football Rankings: Projecting the Top 25 Teams for 2025 Related: Ranking the ACC's College Football Coaches for 2025 Related: ACC Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
21 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Let's see if they criticise us now' – a landmark Saudi win and what it means for football
Marcos Leonardo ripped the corner flag from its roots and hoisted it straight above his head towards the black Orlando sky. For Al Hilal, for Saudi Arabian football, it was their Olympic torch. The flame that announced their long-sought arrival on the world stage. The moment their new money was dealt in at the top table of another sport, in a new tournament that has their country's fingerprints all over it. Advertisement Their dramatic 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Monday was enough to turn keffiyehs into handkerchiefs. Inches away from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Al Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel buried his head into his hands and sobbed. At full time, just shy of midnight local time, he stood in front of the tunnel and hugged every player and member of staff who helped the 2021 Asian Champions League winners defeat the most successful English football club of the last 15 years to seal a place in the quarter-finals against Brazilian side Fluminense. Few celebrations are as wildly chaotic as this, but it was fitting for a game that had witnessed Al Hilal at one point refusing to restart for over two minutes as they tried to force the referee to visit the VAR monitor. Once the dozens of players and staff had eventually disembarked from the pitch, Al Hilal's fans came sweeping through the concourse like a hurricane, chanting 'ole, ole, ole'. Some waved flags, some rode on shoulders and others rocked a Manchester United jersey with glee. One Saudi journalist was telling anyone who would listen that these 120 minutes were even better than his wedding day. His brother, on the phone from Riyadh to share the moment, said he would break his arm if he was there in person because he would hug him so tightly. It was a scene being repeated dozens of times with people dotted around on the grass outside the Camping World Stadium, shrieking with euphoria down the phone to their family and friends at home, sharing a moment few thought they would experience. This result — in what was the best game of the tournament so far — was well ahead of schedule. It is only two years since Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) took control of four Saudi Pro League clubs, including Al Hilal, and decided to aggressively pursue the best talent in the world. The Europeans who moved to Saudi Arabia have regularly been accused of placing cash before career, but Al Hilal, deprived of their two best players in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Salem Al Dawsari, blitzed past Manchester City on the counter-attack time and again. This was further proof that this is not like China's dabble in football the previous decade. It is not a collection of expensive individuals that has been assembled; it is a cohesive team with a clear aim to upend the European hegemony and establish the Saudi Pro League as a direct competitor. Advertisement 'Let's see now if they will criticise us after this game,' said midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, now 30, who joined two years ago from Lazio. 'We showed them it's not like they think. The league isn't how they speak about it. A lot of the perceptions (about Saudi) are untrue. I am running more there than I did in Serie A.' Is it a one-off game that does not tell us anything of substance, or is it another checkpoint in Saudi football's inevitable rise? If it legitimises the league in the eyes of enough peak-age players, then it will be the latter, but there are two prisms through which to view a triumph that could well come to mark a fundamental shifting of the sands. The simpler one is to appreciate the joy it brought to one of the best-supported teams at the tournament. Some Europeans may presume that there was no football culture in Saudi Arabia before the wave of investment, but it was a passionate football nation beforehand. 'I know Al Nassr have Cristiano Ronaldo, but we're the biggest club in Saudi Arabia — around 40 per cent of Saudis support us,' Al Hilal CEO, Esteve Calzada, told The Athletic before the famous win. 'Our games here have been huge news in Saudi Arabia. Everyone is watching. And thousands of our fans have come to the United States to watch us, as well as Saudis based here. There were about 15,000 fans at our game in Nashville (against Pachuca), and at least two-thirds of them were supporting Hilal. We think thousands of them have flown over to support us.' The Saudi embassy in the U.S. had been offering free tickets in the lead up to the game, and while Al Hilal usually help subsidise flights and accommodation for fans at games such as these, this tournament was an exception. It meant there was no official ultras group but a block of Al Hilal fans — all decked out in royal blue and waving flags the entire game — that somehow conquered an entire section. Other fans dotted around the lower tier walked around to join them in an attempt to make it more raucous, and a City fan even turned his jersey inside out and began singing along to new chants. Advertisement The more complicated puzzle to solve is what this could mean for the geopolitics and power dynamics of the game. FIFA president Infantino was quick to declare the result as the harbinger of an intercontinental battle. 'A new era of football has definitely started', he said on Instagram. His personal investment in this tournament succeeding is obvious, but the triangle of power that has driven the creation of this newly expanded tournament — FIFA, broadcaster DAZN and the Saudi state's public wealth fund PIF, whose acronym was plastered around the advertising boards all game — adds multiple layers. One of the features of Infantino's presidency has been courting U.S. and Saudi investment as he seeks to globalise the game and raise the sport's annual revenue to half a trillion dollars. These are the two nations where he sees the most investment opportunities and, as such, the U.S. played host while Saudi Arabia provided the financial means necessary to entice the European clubs into signing up to the new tournament. PIF invested a reported $1billion (£730m) in DAZN, which made the entire competition free-to-air, and in turn, FIFA offered a total prize pot of $1bn. This tournament provided Al Hilal with the global platform they have been waiting for. Two years ago, when the recruitment drive started and backroom staff were being poached from top clubs around Europe, the Club World Cup was one of the main topics of conversation. In April, FIFA visited Riyadh as part of the Club World Cup trophy tour. To the surprise of some present, Al Hilal were thinking about winning it. This breakthrough moment has been years in the making. In 2016, the state outlined its Saudi Vision 2030 — a project that aims to diversify the economy and cement its reputation as a tourist hub and the home of elite sport — and there is the 2034 Road to the World Cup they are building up to. They have since been awarded a permanent Formula One race track, become the de facto home of major boxing fights, established LIV Golf to rival the PGA Tour and, in tennis, created the Six Kings Slam while hosting the WTA finals too. These events tend to fall within Riyadh Season, a banner created in 2019 to help drive tourism, but football was a richer and more saturated market. They had to make a big splash, and that came in January 2023 when five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr. Six months later, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sport announced that PIF had taken control of four Saudi Pro League clubs — Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal and Al Nassr. Over $1bn in transfer fees were paid, with big names such as Karim Benzema, Neymar and N'Golo Kante being lured by the riches on offer. Advertisement In the same year, they hosted the 2023 Club World Cup (Manchester City beat Fluminense 4-0 in the final), and have also hosted both the Italian and Spanish Super Cups. The biggest prize of all, however, came when they were awarded the 2034 World Cup after the FIFA Council decided to adopt a 'principle of confederation rotation' to ensure that all six confederations had a fair share. Qatar 2022 would have ruled out Saudi Arabia until 2042 but, as the 2030 edition is spread across three confederations, the Gulf state was able to present their bid unopposed. PIF own 75 per cent of the four Pro League clubs, with a 25 per cent stake belonging to Al Hilal Non Profit Foundation, which is owned by one of Saudi's richest men in Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Other clubs are due to be brought into private ownership as they seek to strengthen the depth of the league. Saudi Arabia's quest for global power is inextricably linked to its investment in sport. It has been viewed as 'sportswashing' by groups such as Amnesty International, a way of using the association with glamorous, popular events as a deflection from negative actions and human rights abuses. In 2019, then-future (and now former) U.S. president Joe Biden said Saudi Arabia would be treated as a 'pariah' after Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by agents of the Saudi government at the consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity remains illegal, due to the country's interpretation of Sharia law, and can result in a prison sentence or even capital punishment. Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's 2022 assertion that the death penalty had been eliminated except for murder cases as part of an attempt to modernise the country by 2030, Saudi Arabia executed 330 people in 2024 — the most in decades. Advertisement In its evaluation report, FIFA only graded the country's human rights as a medium risk. Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's head of labour rights and sport, called that report an 'astonishing whitewash of the country's atrocious human rights record.' After the victory over City, The Athletic asked Al Hilal supporters if they accept the view of many critics that the country's massive spending on football is an attempt to improve the public image of their country. 'It's just an investment,' says Abdulaziz, who has travelled from Riyadh to follow the team for the duration of their stay. 'We can sell it the next day, so it's not washing. Any country has the right to invest abroad. It is considered soft power for the country, and all countries have done it before, but when Saudi do it some people have double standards. 'When people in the UK saw Newcastle win after so many years, they realised it is good for the region. Finally the Middle East is on the map for good news instead of bad news. People are enjoying watching us.'
NBC Sports
22 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Brock Boeser and Nikolaj Ehlers headline the remaining NHL free agents to watch
Mitch Marner, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad are off the board, leaving slim pickings in NHL free agency. This is not one of the deepest free agent classes in recent history. Still, with the salary cap going up a record $7.5 million to $95.5 million, teams are going to be spending a lot of money. Here's a look at the players to watch when the market opens: Brock Boeser Six-time 20-goal scorers do not hit free agency before age 30 very often, and Boeser had 40 goals as recently as 2023-24. He is Marner's age and he had 25 goals and 25 assists last season, so everyone from Winnipeg to Washington will be in on Boeser. The Minnesota native so far has spent his whole career with Vancouver, and the Canucks seem to be sliding into a rebuild. That gives Boeser the opportunity to get a welcome change of scenery, potentially with a contender. Nikolaj Ehlers Ehlers could be a big beneficiary of so many moves happening in late June, making him along with Boeser one of the top wingers still available. He was nearly a point-a-game producer with 63 in 69 in his 10th season with the Winnipeg Jets. The 29-year-old Dane was making $6 million annually on his last contract, and the cap going up combined with high demand and low supply could get Ehlers a nice raise. Brent Burns One of the oldest players in the league at 40, Burns is still chasing the Stanley Cup and can bring experience and more to a contender. The 6-foot-5, nearly 230-pound defenseman no longer skates top-pairing minutes, but he averaged nearly 23 a game during Carolina's run to the East final. Fellow soon-to-be former Hurricanes teammate Dmitry Orlov also will garner interest. Orlov had a rough series against Florida but is still capable and has a Stanley Cup ring from his time with the Capitals. Nate Schmidt The two-time defending champion Panthers re-signed Marchand, Ekblad and playoff MVP Sam Bennett, and that was a magic act in itself. There's not much room left for someone like Schmidt, who revitalized his career with Florida. A year since getting bought out by Winnipeg, Schmidt could cash in on once more on the verge of turning 34. Ilya Samsonov The goaltending market is remarkably thin, with fewer than a dozen unrestricted free agents around who played in the league last season. Most are backups or, at best, 1-B options, including Jake Allen and David Rittich. Samsonov is the most intriguing option. He's only 28, has starting experience and the right goalie coach and locker room could be enough to get his career back on track following consecutive sub-.900 save percentage seasons, one with Toronto and most recently with Vegas.
