Tuesday 23 November 2021, 21:00

Al Hilal book FIFA Club World Cup ticket

  • Al Hilal win the 2021 AFC Champions League

  • The Saudi Arabian club are now the most successful club in competition history

  • They will represent Asia at the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup

A new king has been crowned in Asia. With a 2-0 victory over three-time winners Pohang Steelers in front of their supporters decked out collectively in blue, Al Hilal became the most successful club in AFC Champions League history with four titles to their name (1991, 2000, 2019 and 2021).

The 50,171 fans packed in to the King Fahd Stadium only had to wait 16 seconds to witness the winning goal. Left-back Nasser Al Dawsari added a stunning exclamation mark to the party atmosphere set during the pre-match ceremony with an electric, long-distance shot from well over 25 yards out that found the top left corner and evaded a helpless Lee Jun in the Pohang goal. It was the fastest goal in AFC Champions League final history.

The K League side nearly responded with a stunning, long-distance effort of their own just over ten minutes later, but the crossbar denied Shin Jinho and Al Hilal keeper Abdullah Al Mayouf saved Lim Sanghyub's follow-up shot from close range.

That was Pohang's only real chance of note and Moussa Marega put some daylight between the sides in the 63rd minute with his second goal of the continental campaign when he ran on to a through ball played by Bafetimbi Gomis and outmuscled substitute Jeon Mingwang before finding the bottom corner with an assured finish.

Marega and Co's prize is the honour of representing Asia at the FIFA Club World Cup 2021™ to be held in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.

Did you know?

Al Hilal tactician Leonardo Jardim is the first Portuguese coach to win the AFC Champions League.