Cristiano Ronaldo, the striker for Al Nassr, was not able to win the Saudi Arabian league this year.
For the nineteenth time, Al Hilal were proclaimed champions on Saturday.
There are currently 68 titles available.
With three games left, Al Hilal—who lost Neymar Junior to injury in October—beat Al Hazm, who were in last place, 4-1, to take an unassailable 12-point lead over Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
Al Hilal’s incredible season comes to an end with the title. They set a record for a top-tier team by going 34 games without losing in all competitions and being undefeated in 31 league games.
After Ronaldo’s entrance in January of last year sparked a wave of high-profile arrivals, Jorge Jesus’s Riyadh team has now locked up bragging rights in the most anticipated Saudi season ever.
Neymar, Sadio Mane, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, and Karim Benzema were a few of the seasoned players that signed lucrative contracts to play for Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter in the world.
The Public Investment Fund, Benzema’s Al Ittihad, Mahrez’s Al Ahli, and Al Hilal are the four “Big Four” Saudi teams. This sovereign wealth vehicle is what is propelling Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification away from oil.
When Al Hilal plays their city rivals Al Nassr in the King’s Cup final on May 31, they will try to annoy Ronaldo, 39, once more.
