Saudi Pro League soccer franchise Al-Hilal has broken the world record for the “most consecutive wins by a top-flight team” with 28 straight victories.
Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Al-Ittihad
Taking the team coached by ex-Benfica and Flamengo boss Jorge Jesus across the record-breaking line was Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Al-Ittihad in the Asian Champions League.
Al-Hilal’s winning streak goes back to September 21, taking maximum points from every game since a 1-1 tie with Damac. The franchise’s purple patch has also put them 12 points ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr at the summit of the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Hilal’s history-making run is fueled in no small part by the elite soccer players it plundered from Europe’s top leagues in Saudi Arabia’s attempt to be a global soccer market.
One of Al-Hilal’s – and perhaps the league’s – best buys is former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian, who raised many eyebrows when he insisted on the move away from Fulham, has scored 26 of his side’s 81 goals during the winning run.
He’s joined in the team by other stars including ex-Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves and Brazil forward Neymar, who despite costing £77.6m ($99.2m) plus add-ons, has been out since October with a serious knee injury.
Even without the mercurial Brazilian, Al-Hilal has bested the 27 consecutive wins set by Welsh side The New Saints in 2016.