Neymar’s Al Hilal celebrate record-breaking season with fans at Kingdom Arena

By Sanj Atwal
Published
Neymar holding GWR certificate with adjudicator

Riyadh-based football club Al Hilal recently celebrated their record-breaking season at a ceremony in front of thousands of fans at their stadium, Kingdom Arena.

In addition to being awarded the trophy for winning the 2023-24 Saudi Pro League, a Guinness World Records certificate was presented to head coach Jorge Jesus and club president Fahad Bin Saad Bin Nafel.

“The moment of official recognition was electrifying, igniting a wave of euphoria throughout the stadium,” said Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator Kanzy Defrawy.

Backstage in the players’ lounge, Brazilian superstar Neymar, whom the club bought last summer for €90 million, took the opportunity to snap a couple of shots with the iconic certificate.

Neymar became the most expensive footballer player of all time in 2017 when he transferred from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain upon the activation of his release clause of €222 million

Al Hilal won 34 games in a row between September and April, setting a world record for the most consecutive men's association football victories across all competitions.

The team won their 28th consecutive game in March with a 2-0 win over rivals Al-Ittihad, breaking the record of 27 previously set by Welsh club The New Saints in 2016.

Al Hilal’s winning streak – compiled across four competitions – finally came to an end on 17 April, when they lost 4–2 away to Al Ain in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semi-finals.

The team remained unbeaten domestically, winning the league title with three games to spare. They amassed a total of 96 points, 14 more than Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in second place.

Al Hilal won their second trophy of the season, the Saudi Super Cup, last month, overcoming Al Nassr and Al Ittihad in the four-team tournament.

According to Jorge Jesus, the season has been “arguably the best ever” in the club’s 66-year history.

GWR certificate being presented to Al Hilal chairman

“The credit goes to the immense talent within the squad and the incredible sense of unity that transcends both on and off-field interactions,” he said.

In addition to Neymar, who only played in five matches due to injury, Al Hilal purchased several notable names from European clubs at the beginning of the season: Rúben Neves (€55 million), Aleksandar Mitrović (€52 million), Malcom (€60 million), Sergej Milinković-Savić (€40 million) and Kalidou Koulibaly (€23 million).

Having won 68 official trophies to date, Al Hilal are the most decorated club in Asia. They have the opportunity to win their 69th, as well as secure a domestic treble, by winning the King Cup final tomorrow against Al Nassr.

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