New era begins at Real, Al Hilal as Alonso and Inzaghi start stints

A new era begins for Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal under head coach Simone Inzgahi with a mouth-watering tie against Spanish giants Real Madrid in their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group H opener on Wednesday.

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Inzgahi, who took over from Jorge Jesus after steering Inter Milan to a runners-up finish in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25, will have the task of taking the four-time Asian champions to greater heights.

While Inzgahi hasn’t had much time to work with the squad, he will be boosted by the return of Joao Cancelo, with the full-back having been out since suffering an injury in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 quarter-final against Gwangju FC in April.

The Portuguese’s availability will be welcome news for Inzaghi, who will also expect Saudi Arabia international Salem Al Dawsari and Aleksandar Mitrovic to provide the spark upfront against 15-time European champions Real Madrid.

Dawsari was part of the Al Hilal side that reached the final of the 2022 edition where they lost 5-3 to Real Madrid with the 33-year-old keen to at least match that achievement.

“We're striving to reach the final,” said Al Dawsari. “Us players are determined to achieve something big for Al Hilal and Saudi football.”