Al Hilal: All you need to know about Chelsea’s Club World Cup opponents

Chelsea will take on Saudi Arabian champions Al Hilal on Wednesday for a place in the Club World Cup final.

We have pulled together a handy guide to the Blues’ upcoming opponents.

Where are Al Hilal from?

Al Hilal are based in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh. 

They are the Saudi Professional League's most successful club — and its current champions.

How did Al Hilal qualify for the Club World Cup?

Like Chelsea, Al Hilal qualified for this year’s Club World Cup by winning their premier continental competition — the AFC Champions League.

They downed South Korean side Pohang Steelers 2-0 in last November’s final thanks to goals from Nasser Al-Dawsari and Moussa Marega.

This will only be Al Hilal’s second appearance at the Club World Cup, having exited to Brazilian outfit Flamengo at the semi-final stage in 2019. 

Who is Al Hilal’s manager?

Experienced Portuguese boss Leonardo Jardim is the man currently in charge of the Saudi outfit.

Jardim, 47, will be a familiar face to many European football fans having led an AS Monaco side containing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Radamel Falcao to the Ligue 1 title in 2017.

Agreeing a one-year deal in June with an option for a second, Jardim has seen his side defeated only twice in 17 league games. But seven draws have left them languishing in fourth place.

Who is Al Hilal’s best player?

Bafetimbi Gomis, once of Lyon and Swansea fame, has been Al Hilal’s star performer since 2018 with over a century of goals to his name but he made a shock exit two weeks ago to rejoin former side Galatasaray.

The club moved swiftly to secure a replacement, bringing in ex-Manchester United forward Odion Ighalo from city rivals Al Shabab on an 18-month contract.

Ighalo, 32, is currently the joint-top scorer in the Saudi Professional League and scored on his club debut in Al Hilal's tournament opener — a 6-1 drubbing of Al-Jazira last Sunday.

As well as Ighalo, boss Jardim will need Brazilian Matheus Pereira — who managed 11 Premier League goals with West Brom last season — and ex-Porto forward Marega to step up in Gomis’ absence.

Ironically, two of 25-year-old Pereira’s top-flight strikes for the Baggies came in their unlikely 5-2 drubbing of the Blues at Stamford Bridge last April.

When do Al Hilal and Chelsea play?

Al Hilal and Chelsea will meet tomorrow afternoon. The game is taking place at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and will kick off at 4.30pm GMT.

UK-based fans can watch the game live on E4, with Sunday’s final set to be broadcast on Channel 4.