Football beyond mainstream
In a surprising move, Cristiano Ronaldo did not accompany Al-Nassr’s squad to Iran for their AFC Champions League Round of 16 first-leg match against Esteghlal on Monday. According to local media reports, the decision to leave the Portuguese superstar behind was made following discussions between the coaching and medical staff, who cited muscle fatigue as…
In a nail-biting final of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, Australia emerged victorious over Saudi Arabia in a dramatic penalty shootout (5-4) to claim the championship title. The match, held on Saturday afternoon at the Bao’an Stadium in Shenzhen, China, saw both teams deliver a fierce and competitive performance, but it was Australia who ultimately…
In an exciting turn of events, Australia’s U-20 national team has secured a spot in the final of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup. They will face Saudi Arabia in what promises to be a thrilling showdown this Saturday. Australia advanced to the final after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Japan in the semi-finals on Wednesday….
The Saudi Arabian national team has officially secured their spot in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile after a thrilling 1-0 victory over China in the quarter-finals of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup, currently being held in China. The decisive goal was scored by Ammar Al-Yahibi in the 90+5th minute in a spectacular fashion,…
The final eight teams will compete on Saturday and Sunday, with the champions to be crowned on March 2. The first quarter-final on Saturday will see Saudi Arabia take on China PR. Saudi Arabia, who topped Group B, are looking to add a fourth title to their collection, having last won in 2018. Meanwhile, China…
Saudi advisor Turki Al-Sheikh, via his official “X” account, confirmed that a deal has been finalised with DAZN, Riyadh Season, and GEA to exclusively air Al-Hilal’s matches in the FIFA Club World Cup on MBC’s free channels. Turki Al-Sheikh highlighted that this step is part of a significant sponsorship agreement with strategic partners MBC and…
Shandong Taishan, a top Chinese Super League club, has withdrawn from the AFC Champions League Elite, citing “serious physical discomfort” among its players. The team was set to play South Korea’s Ulsan HD on Wednesday but did not show up for the match, resulting in their automatic disqualification from the tournament. In a brief statement…
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on Tuesday that Jeddah will host the final stages of the 2024-2025 AFC Elite Champions League. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had previously granted Saudi Arabia the rights to host the tournament’s final rounds for both the current and upcoming seasons. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final will be played…
In a tightly contested match on Tuesday evening, Al-Qadisiyah of Kuwait and Al-Ittifaq of Saudi Arabia played to a 1-1 draw in Dammam, securing their spots in the semi-finals of the Gulf Club Champions League. This match marked the end of the preliminary round for Group 2, with both teams demonstrating resilience and skill to…
Al-Hilal clinched a crucial 2-0 victory against the host team Al-Wasl from the UAE in the eighth round of the AFC Champions League. The match took place at Zabeel Stadium. Brazilian player Marcos Leonardo opened the scoring for Al-Hilal early in the 13th minute, capitalizing on a rebound from Mohammed Kanno’s header that was initially…
