Roshn Saudi League champions Al Hilal have been drawn against record-winners Real Madrid, FC Salzburg and Pachuca in the inaugural edition of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
The Riyadh side, Saudi Arabia’s sole representative at next summer’s rebranded tournament, had been placed in Pot 3 for the draw, which was made in Miami on Thursday night.
Currently second in the 2024-25 RSL, Al Hilal were the final side drawn from Pot 3 and will now contest Group H alongside five-time winners Madrid, Austria's FC Salzburg and Pachuca of Mexico. Jorge Jesus' side will open the group against the Spanish giants, in what will be a re-run of the 2022 final.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 takes place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. The opening game sees host representative Inter Miami face Egyptian powerhouses Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium on June 15, while the final will be staged at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, who will play each other once in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will then go through to the knockout stages.
Record four-time Asian champions, Al Hilal are one of a quartet of clubs from the Asian Football Confederation competing next year, which includes UAE counterparts Al Ain.
Al Hilal, who won the RSL last season in record-breaking fashion, have contested the FIFA Club World Cup in its previous guise three times, in 2019, 2021 and 2022. In the latter, they lost to European champions Real Madrid in the showpiece, beaten 5-3 in Rabat, Morocco.
