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Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has commended Al Hilal SFC on achieving their best-ever showing at the FIFA Club World Cup after finishing as runners-up to champions Real Madrid in a thrilling final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on Saturday, February 11.
The four-time Asian club champions had earlier produced one of the most stunning performances of the tournament after defeating Brazilian heavyweights Flamengo in the semifinals to emerge as the first Saudi Arabian side to reach the FIFA Club World Cup decider.
Prior to Saturday’s final, Al Hilal’s most successful spells came in 2019 and 2021 when they finished in fourth place, while their overall tally of 17 goals is the most scored by an Asian side at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Shaikh Salman said, “On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to praise Al Hilal for showcasing commendable character and team spirit to produce their best-ever performance by finishing as runners-up at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022.”
“I have no doubts that this is just a sign of more to come from Asian sides, all of whom can draw immense inspiration from this achievement to scale even greater heights in the years to come.”
“The AFC has been steadfast, as outlined in its Vision and Mission, to ensure our players and teams continue to shine on the world’s biggest stages through top level Asian competitions and Al Hilal’s success underscores the progress we have made in bringing those ambitions to life.”
Saturday’s contest was between the most successful teams in Asia and Europe. Four-time Asian club champions Al Hilal have also finished as Continental runners-up on four occasions while Real Madrid have amassed an impressive 14 European titles.
The 18-time Saudi Pro League champions equaled Asia’s best outing at the world club showpiece with Japan’s Kashima Antlers and United Arab Emirates’ Al Ain also finishing as runners-up in 2016 and 2018 respectively, incidentally losing to Saturday’s finalist Real Madrid on both occasions.
