Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli Jeddah won the AFC Champions League yesterday for the first time ever, after a 2-0 victory over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale.
The goals came in the first half from Gabri Veiga and Franck Kessié, both assisted by Roberto Firmino. Kawasaki, a truly excellent football team, upheld the honor of East Asian football but couldn’t withstand the strength and quality of Al-Ahli Jeddah—who also enjoyed overwhelming home support in this year’s World Cup-style knockout format tournament, hosted in Jeddah.
Still, Al-Ahli is a fascinating story. It’s the only one among Saudi Arabia’s “Big Four” clubs—Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Nassr, and Al Ahli—that has ever been relegated. That happened three years ago, and they returned to the top flight within a season. Back then, the players and club didn’t even celebrate promotion—it was simply their natural place.
In the summer of 2023, the Saudi football revolution began. Al-Ahli became one of the four clubs to benefit from the Public Investment Fund’s big-money project—a national initiative aiming to improve the domestic game, turn Saudi clubs into international brands recognized in the West, and enhance Saudi Arabia’s global image as part of Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
Al-Ahli had just returned to the top division, but they went big—signing proven stars. Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez, former Champions League winners with Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, were the first to sign. “Next year we’ll win the AFC Champions League,” Mahrez promised fans. In Saudi Arabia, some scoffed, saying, “With all due respect to Al-Ahli, they’ve only ever won three league titles. Who are they to speak about the Asian title?”. Many mocked both players—but fast forward two years, and Firmino, Edouard Mendy, and Mahrez are now the first players in history to win both the UEFA Champions League and the AFC Champions League. Mahrez finished with nine goals and eight assists—the highest goal involvement in the entire tournament.
Just as symbolic was the presence of Ezgjan Alioski and Ali Majrashi—two players who were in Al-Ahli’s starting lineup when the club was relegated three years ago. They stayed, brought the team back to where it belongs, and yesterday both started and played all 90 minutes in the club’s first-ever continental final.
The 2024/25 AFC Champions League ends with a worthy and undefeated champion, but also leaves many questions for the future. One is the problematic knockout format. Another: how long can non-Saudi Asian clubs compete with the lavish, high-quality squads backed by bin Salman’s project?
For now, in its first two years, we’ve seen that Al Ain last year and Kawasaki Frontale this year managed to challenge and produce beautiful wins and performances—pure football, right on the pitch. There is real football in Asia, with tradition, ideas, and talent—just a different kind than we’re used to. The question is whether it can continue to be competitive and relevant—and how today’s power and money imbalances won’t ultimately kill the competition.
