Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema, boasting a collective tally of 11 UEFA Champions League titles, are now leading the Saudi Arabian charge in the Asian edition, commencing on Monday.

Neymar, who recently surpassed Pele’s international goal record for Brazil, joined Al-Hilal in August and made his league debut on Friday, contributing to the team’s commanding 6-1 victory. Al-Hilal, a four-time Asian champion, had previously lost the final to Japan’s Urawa Reds in May.

Since then, Saudi Arabian clubs have invested approximately $950 million in acquiring some of the world’s most prominent stars. This spending surge has been fueled by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, which now holds a majority ownership stake in four of the country’s top clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Nassr.

In addition to Neymar, Al-Hilal has secured the services of English Premier League stars Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Aleksandar Mitrovic, along with Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Brazilian winger Malcom, and Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Mumbai City finds itself in the same group and eagerly anticipates the opportunity to face Al-Hilal, especially with its Brazilian superstar. Mumbai’s coach, Des Buckingham, expressed excitement, stating, “They’re bringing that caliber and quality of player to India, which is going to be extremely exciting for us and for our club but also for the fans of India.”

In total, four Saudi Arabian teams are among the 40 in the group stage, with the top ten group winners and the six best second-placed teams advancing to the next round.

After years of Saudi Arabia-Iran matches being played at neutral venues, Ronaldo will lead Al-Nassr to Tehran on Tuesday to face Persepolis. The visiting team has never clinched the Asian trophy. Persepolis’ president, Reza Darvish, confirmed that Al-Nassr would have unrestricted internet access during their stay in Iran.

Al-Ittihad, the reigning Saudi Arabian champion, has bolstered its squad with stars like Benzema, N’Golo Kante from Chelsea, and Fabinho from Liverpool. The two-time Asian champion kicks off its campaign against AGMK of Uzbekistan in Jeddah.

Al-Fayha completes the Saudi quartet but differs from the other three as it is not owned by the Public Investment Fund and lacks the same star power. The team faces a challenging trip to Uzbekistan to take on Pakhtakor.

The tournament extends beyond Saudi Arabian teams, as it is divided into geographic zones until the final, ensuring representation from the eastern half of the continent next May.

Japan’s Urawa Reds are the defending champions, while South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i lifted the trophy in 2020. Ulsan coach Hong Myong-bo acknowledged the strong competition from Saudi Arabian teams but emphasized the rising standard of football across Asia, underscoring the need to perform at their best.