MARCA Reveals Which Saudi Arabian Team Vinícius Would Play For, Florentino Pérez Is Amazed

Real Madrid Continues to Grapple with the "Vinícius Case". The hypothetical departure of the South American footballer to Saudi Arabia, thanks to the offers that would arrive from that country in the summer of 2025, raises a wide range of questions. One of the most striking is his destination team.

Because if the Saudi Pro League achieves its intended goal, it still faces the challenge of placing its franchise player in a single team. With several clubs awaiting such a high-profile addition, like Al-Hilal or Al-Nassr, there is much debate about who would ultimately be chosen.

The newspaper MARCA has sought the opinion of Jimmy Mateos, an expert in Arab soccer, to address this issue. The analyst of these competitions makes it clear that the construction of the Saudi Pro League has undergone a drastic change since Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in 2022. However, there is still much work to be done, and signing Vinícius would be another planned step forward to make it one of the best leagues in the world.

"The Best Teams in Saudi Arabia Would Make It into the Top-8 of the Champions League", asserts Jimmy Mateos, who applies some reservations to this statement. Because that idea would apply "if we only look at the starting eleven" filled with stars 'inherited' from the European soccer elite. In contrast, the players on the bench in those formations "leave much to be desired".

Defined Positions

Nevertheless, Jimmy Mateos is clear that Vinícius "would fit anywhere". Thus, the club that would be best prepared to receive his football services is none other than Al-Hilal with the aim of "somewhat covering Neymar's departure". The departure of the verdeamarelo striker, who left several weeks ago for Santos in Brazil, makes this team the ideal one to welcome Vinícius.

Indeed, it would be the most interested, in the offers that many media outlets talk about today, in signing the Brazilian merengue striker. From the offices in Valdebebas, they are clear: until the summer of 2027, anyone who wants to sign Vinícius must pay his release clause set at about 1 billion euros.

Jimmy Mateos points out that Saudi Arabia's interest in securing Vinícius's signing as soon as possible is to establish him as a star ahead of the World Cup scheduled for 2034. During the nine years remaining until that moment, the Saudi Pro League would want to place the current '7' merengue in Al-Hilal, covering Neymar's departure and marking a change. He could also face Real Madrid in the Club World Cup this summer, a competition organized by FIFA in the United States.

Because until now, Saudi Arabia had signed veteran superstars like Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Neymar Jr. himself. "But teams are increasingly offering better sports projects. It's no longer just the money" that would motivate players like Gabri Veiga or Vinícius, hypothetically, to leave behind the European soccer elite.