INTER MIAMI
Which high profile soccer stars play for Al Hilal, Inter Miami’s rival? Bono, Milinkovic-Savic...
Inter Miami’s first opponents in Saudi Arabia, as part of the Riyadh Season Cup are runaway league leaders Al Hilal.
This year’s Riyadh Cup has set up, what could be the final chapter in the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two great stars of Inter Miami and Al Nassr, respectively, will face each other next Thursday in the aforementioned competition in a game that could mark the duo sharing a pitch together for the last time.
First up in Riyadh... Al Hilal
Jorge Jesús, three-time champion in Portugal with Benfica and two-time runner-up in the Europa League, is the head coach of the current Al Hilal side which boasts a squad that includes many big name players that have graced high profile European leagues.
Al Hilal are the current runaway league leaders holding a seven point lead over Al Nassr and a massive 25 lead over last season’s champions Al Ittihad. The Blue Waves are the most decorated side in Saudi football and are one of the clubs to have heavily invested in attracting overseas talent.
Talent in every department
Former Sevilla player Yassine Bounou is first choice goalkeeper and will be remembered by many for his great performance in Morocco’s historic 2022 World Cup campaign where the North African side reached the semi-final stage. Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly is the heart of the defense and is currently defending their 2021 African Cup of Nations title at the currently AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast.
Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who played with Lazio and Portuguese Rubén Neves are in charge of pulling the strings in the centre of the park.
Upfront, Aleksandar Mitrovic has taken like a fish to water in the Roshn Saudi League with the former Newcastle and Fulham striker finding the net 17 times this season and the Serbian striker only trails Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2023-24 season top scorer ranking with the Al Nassr forward on 20 strikes.
The Riyadh giants also boosted their squad during the winter transfer window by bringing in Renan Lodi, formerly of Atlético Madrid. With Neymar out long term through injury, the Brazilian defender takes the striker’s foreign player slot with Neymar not expected to play again this season.
Inter Miami’s first opponent at the Riyadh Season Cup 2024 will be a stern test for Tata Martino’s side as they still search for the first goal in pre-season following a draw with El Salvador and a 1-0 defeat to FC Dallas.