Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi Arabian billionaire and chairman of the Kingdom Holding Co, has announced that he will award a one million riyal ($266,500) bonus to each player from Al Hilal Football Club for their 3-2 win over South American champions Flamengo. This generous gesture from Prince Alwaleed, a big supporter of the club, has generated excitement among fans and the players alike.
In addition to Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s reward, each player will also receive 500,000 riyals from the country’s minister of sports. This extra boost to their earnings is a testament to the high regard in which the team is held in the country.
The win against Flamengo has sent Al Hilal to the Club World Cup final, the first time a Saudi team has reached this stage. The country’s government has celebrated this achievement as another competitive victory following their national team’s World Cup win against Argentina in November.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has not just stopped at awarding the players for their victory against Flamengo. He has announced that he will gift the players a similar amount if they also manage to win the final, which will be played against the winner of the other semi-final between Spain’s Real Madrid and Egypt’s Al Ahly.
“The win is a tangible confirmation of the great distinction that Saudi sports has experienced recently,” Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz al-Faisal said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Alwaleed bin Talal’s contributions to the sport and his support for the club have played a significant role in the success of Al Hilal and have helped to promote the sport in the country.
