The first round of the Saudi Pro League season told us plenty about how the 2026/27 campaign will unfold.
Last season’s runners-up, Al Hilal, kicked things off at home against Al-Faysaly but didn’t have things their own way.
There was already new headlines pre-match when striker Darwin Nunez didn’t make their 20-man squad.
Hilal leave Nunez out of their squad again
Nunez was removed from Hilal’s Pro League squad in January and looks set to miss out again this term as they club try to get him out of the door.
Hilal paid Liverpool £53million for the Uruguayan last summer but he’s failed to impress and Karim Benzema has since taken his foreign player spot in the squad.
Nunez is now available for a loan, with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor the most recently linked.
However, his replacement didn’t do much better in the opener.
Benzema overshadows Hilal win
Benzema opened the scoring from the spot in the 19th minute but then failed to do much else.
Ruben Neves instead put the game to bed with a brace, while Malcom also found the net for a 4-2 win.
However, the match was overshadowed in the 70th minute when Benzema caused some unhelpful headlines.
The Ballon d’Or winner was called off by coach Simeone Inzaghi and threw his hands out in frustration.
Hilal haven’t won the Pro League since 2024 despite being the biggest spenders in a league that plunders cash.
Last season Al Nassr won the championship, in spite of Cristiano Ronaldo going on strike over Benzema’s switch to Hilal.
Benzema previously played for another of the Public Investment Fund-owned clubs, Al Ittihad, and Ronaldo saw the switch as favourability towards the team.
However, Nassr managed to take the title anyway under serial winner Jorge Jesus who departed after the triumph.
He’s since joined the Portuguese national team and been replaced at Nassr by former Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou.
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