Summary
The FIFA Club World Cup 2023 is already here, taking place from February 1-11, 2023, in Morocco. Al-Hilal is nominated by AFC as the defending AFC Champions League winner to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Saudi club will represent the Asia (AFC) region among 5 other continental champions and the host nation’s league champions.
Al-Hilal will participate in the FIFA Club World Cup for the third time. They previously played in the competition twice, in 2019 and 2021. The Saudi team will fight for their first title.
As the AFC representatives, Al-Hilal will get a bye to the second round (effectively quarter-finals) of the competition. They will face the CAF Champions League winner Wydad Casablanca in the second round.
Now, let’s take a quick look at the potential Al-Hilal squad for the FIFA Club World Cup 2023.
Potential Al-Hilal Squad
Al-Hilal boss Ramon Diaz will name a 23-man squad (three of whom have to be goalkeepers) for the tournament. Injury replacements are allowed until 24 hours before the team’s first match.
Here’s the potential roster of Al-Hilal.
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeepers | M Al Owais, Abdullah Al Muaiouf, Ahmed Al Jubaya |
| Defenders | Hyun-soo Jang, Yasir Al Shahrani, M Jahfali, M Al Burayk, Ali Al-Boleahi, N Al Dawsari, Khalifah Aldawsari |
| Midfielders | Salman Al-Faraj, Gustavo Cuellar, Andre Carrillo, Salem Al-Dawsari, Matheus Pereira, Abdullah Otayf, M Kanno |
| Forwards | Odion Ighalo, Luciano Vietto, Saleh Al-Shehri, Moussa Marega, Michael, Abdullah Al Hamdan |
Injury Report
Al-Hilal boss Ramon Diaz has no injury concerns. The players are reportedly fresh and ready to go. The Argentine manager will choose from a fully fit squad.
Key Players
- Salem Al-Dawsari
- Odion Ighalo
- Gustavo Cuellar
Salem Al-Dawsari is a star performer for Al-Hilal. The winger played for Saudi Arabia in the Qatar World Cup and scored a stunning winner against the eventual champions Argentina.
Odion Ighalo is the top scorer of Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League this season, scoring 9 goals. He will be a crucial attacker in the FIFA Club World Cup. The eyes will be on Gustavo Cuellar to control the midfield.
Al-Hilal’s Fixtures in FIFA Club World Cup
As the Asian (AFC) representatives, Al-Hilal will get a bye to the second round. They will face the CAF Champions League winners Wydad Casablanca, on February 4, 2023, at 2:30 pm GMT.
| Round | Fixture | Date | Time | Venue |
| Second Round | Al-Hilal vs Wydad Casablanca | Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 2:30 pm GMT | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat |
