Contrary to popular belief, Al-Hilal has not secured a 100% spot in the 2029 Club World Cup, despite Al-Ahli’s victory in the 2026 AFC Champions League.
Al-Ahli won the Champions League title for the second consecutive year, defeating Machida Zelvia with a goal by Firas Al-Buraikan in extra time.
Asia has four slots in the 2029 Club World Cup, represented by the champions of the 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 editions.
With Al-Ahli winning the first two titles, it was said that Al-Hilal had already secured a spot as the highest-ranked Saudi club currently. However, the truth is that they have only “come very close” to achieving this.
Al-Hilal needs to maintain its position at the top of the Saudi club rankings until 2028, in addition to no other Saudi team winning the AFC Champions League title in the next two years.
FIFA regulations stipulate that no more than two teams from any country can participate in the Club World Cup, unless more than two clubs win the continental title.
Thus, Al-Hilal is close to qualifying but has not yet secured qualification, pending the outcome of the next two editions of the AFC Champions League, the winners of those editions, and how this will affect the Asian club rankings.
It is worth noting that starting with next year’s edition, five Saudi clubs will participate in the AFC Champions League, with three qualifying directly in the group stage and two qualifying through the play-offs.
