Al-Hilal seeking history in FIFA Club World Cup final against mighty Real Madrid

Al-Hilal have plenty of history and have won everything there is to win in club football except for what is on offer on Saturday.

Playing Real Madrid in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup? It just does not get any bigger or better. To go back to Riyadh and then take on Al-Feiha on Wednesday as world champions would be quite something.

For all that there is a huge prize on offer. There is also nothing to lose for the Saudi Arabian champions. Just getting to the final is success. This is the first time in the tournament’s history that Al-Hilal have reached the final and this is the first Asian team to do so on foreign soil (Kashima Antlers in 2016 and Al-Ain two years later both made the final and both lost to Real Madrid, but were only there as representatives of the host nations). It means that, whatever happens, the reputation of Al-Hilal and Saudi Arabian football is now at an all-time high.

There are other reasons not to be overawed by the occasion and the opposition. Al-Hilal have already been in the lion’s den. There they were last Saturday taking on the African champions Wydad AC on their home soil of Morocco in front of 50,000 loud — very loud — and passionate fans. Just as it looked as if the Blues were heading home, they dug deep, stayed in the game and held their nerve in the penalty shootout.

The reward was an even tougher test, against the South American champions Flamengo in the semifinal. It ended 3-2 to Al-Hilal but there was more to it than that. They took the lead, had the early goal canceled out and then everything changed on the stroke of half-time as a penalty was given that Salem Al-Dawsari converted and the Brazilians were reduced to 10 men. The impressive Luciano Vietto added a third and