Al Ahli lifted their first AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) title with a 2-0 win over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.
The title etched three of their stars—Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez, into the record books as the first players to win both UEFA and AFC Champions League titles.
Goals from Galeno and Franck Kessié sealed the triumph at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, crowning Al Ahli champions of Asia in their third attempt and marking the club’s rise from Saudi Arabia’s second tier in 2023 to the continent’s summit just a year later.
The win also makes Al Ahli the third Saudi side to win the competition, following in the footsteps of Al Hilal and Al Ittihad.
The title capped an unbeaten continental campaign for Al Ahli and underlined the club’s resurgence since being absorbed into the Public Investment Fund’s sports portfolio.
Having failed in previous finals in 1986 and 2012, this victory erased decades of disappointment.
