RIYADH: As the Kingdom celebrates its National Day, its footballers, both local and international, will this year turn their attentions to Saudi Arabia’s oldest and most iconic competition, the King’s Cup.

On Sept. 23, 2023, the first Saudi National Day to be celebrated since the influx of foreign superstars to the nation’a top clubs, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane and many others marked the occasion by dressing in traditional Saudi attire and posting the results on their socials media accounts.

The display of inclusivity was hailed in Saudi Arabia as a sign that these players, some of the world’s finest arriving from Europe’s top clubs, were embracing their new lives in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and beyond.

This year, Al-Hilal have released a video celebrating the day which includes, among other players, Brazilian stars Neymar and Malcom.

Meanwhile, ahead of their Saudi Classico with champions Al-Hilal on Saturday night, Al-Ittihad’s official account on X posted a image showing the team’s superstars Benzema and N’Golo Kante in national dress and holding up swords.

But on Monday, thoughts will turn to the serious business of the Round of 32 of the King’s Cup, with a full program of fixtures being completed on the following two days.

Perhaps it is appropriate that the day of celebrating Saudi achievements will see nationwide action in the historic competition that allows the country’s less heralded clubs the chance to cause an upset against the elite of the Saudi Pro League.

The pick of the matches on Sept. 23 is perhaps the visit of Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to Al-Hazm, the team that was relegated from the top tier at the end of last season. Al-Nassr will be hoping to go one better than last season when they lost the final to Al-Hilal

Jeddah giants Al-Ahli will welcome Al-Jandal to Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, while Ettifaq will host Al-Adalah club in Dammam. Also taking place are Al-Fayha against Al-Batin and Al-Tai against Khaleej Club.

On Tuesday, the current holders of the King’s Cup and reigning SPL champions Al-Hilal begin their defence of the trophy with a visit to Al-Bukiryah, where an upset will go down as one of the biggest in the history of Saudi football.

Al-Ittihad will hope to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Al-Hilal in th Saudi Classico with an expected win over Al-Ain in Jeddah, while Al-Shababwill travel to fellow SPL club Al-Kholood. Rounding up the days matches will be Al-Jabalan against Al-Fateh

The line-up for the Round of 16 of the competition will be completed on Wednesday four matches: Al-Najma vs. Daman, Abha vs. Al-Taawoun, Al-Safa vs. Al-Riyadh and Jeddah Club vs. Al-Raed.

Each of the fixtures have a clear underdog hoping to cause the shock of the round, and in some cases produce the finest result in their history.

Al-Hilal will always look over their shoulders at Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr, while Al-Ittihad, the Kingdom’s oldest club, have to contend with Jeddah neighbors Al-Ahli.

On Saturday, Al-Hilal team achieved a major victory over its counterpart Al-Ittihad 3-1 in the fourth round of the Saudi League, at Prince Faisal bin Fahd City Stadium.

These two derbies are highlights of the Saudi Arabian football calendar. But even those epic rivalries have to take a back seat to the country’s biggest match: Al-Hilal against Al-Ittihad.

Derbies traditionally take place between rivals from within the same city, with historic animosity shrouding fixtures between Al-Ahly and Zamalek in Cairo, Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow, and Boca Juniors and River Plate in Buenos Aires.

Some of the world’s biggest clashes, however, are between rival city clubs: Juventus versus Inter in Derby d’Italia, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund’s Der Klassiker, and, above all, Real Madrid against Barcelona in El Clasico.

And in Saudi, "Al Classico".

In the blue corner, the champions and the country’s most decorated club, one that sees itself as the best not only of Saudi Arabia, but also Asia. Few will argue. They are the proud holders of 19 Saudi league titles and four AFC Champions Leagues — both records.

In the yellow corner, the contenders. Nine titles and two AFC Champions League fall short of their rivals from the capital. But to Al-Ittihad fans, that is of little consequence. History is theirs. They are the people’s club, with qualities that cannot be measured in gold, such as history, tradition, and passion. Anyone who has been to an Al-Ittihad match, and witnessed their supporters’ displays of color and noise, would be hard pressed to dispute their claim.

The two first crossed swords in a 1962 friendly, a match won 2-0 by Al-Ittihad. Two years later, they clashed in their first official match, their first-ever meeting during a King’s Cup. Al-Ittihad won that one, too, 3-0. This early dominance, however, would gradually be diluted over the years.

Today, after 163 official meetings, Al-Hilal have claimed 76 victories, Al-Ittihad 42, while 45 have been drawn. 

Some of those matches might have been forgotten. Many more, however, are etched in the minds of Saudi football fans.

In 11 cup finals between the two, Al-Hilal have won six to Al-Ittihad’s five.

In 2010, Al-Ittihad beat Al-Hilal 5-4 on penalties in the King’s Cup final after the match had finished 0-0. It was the last time the two met in a major final.

Still, only rarely is the Classico an irrelevance in the Saudi Premier League, and these days the clash features more big-name players than at any time in its history.

Alongside hometown hero and World Cup champion-beater Salem Al-Dawsari, Al-Hilal can call on Aleksander Mitrovic, Malcom, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and, hopefully, Neymar.

Al-Ittihad roster includes Karim Benzema, Fabinho, Moussa Diaby and former Al-Hilal favorite Saleh Al-Shehri.

Matches between the two tend to have major bearing on the outcome of the league title, even when one of the clubs are not directly involved in the title race.

That was the case when the two met in the SPL for the second time last season. Al-Hilal, in the middle of a world record run of consecutive wins that would eventually extend to 34, were in danger of disappearing over the horizon in the race for the championship.

Only Al-Nassr stood a slim chance of catching them. Having drawn 4-4 against bottom Al-Hazem on Feb 29, 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates needed a big favor from Al-Ittihad — then still reigning Saudi Pro League champions — in the Classico following day.

It was not to be as Al-Hilal came from behind to defeat Al-Ittihad 3-1 and take a giant step toward the Saudi Pro League trophy. The journey was completed on May 11 when a record 19th title was secured after a 4-1 win over Al-Hazem.

But, once again, it was the Al-Classico matchday that had proven decisive.

On Saturday, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad met in the first Clasico of the 2024-25 season. The victory went to Al-Hilal, 3-1 winners in Riyadh.  A long season stretches ahead in which both will be vying for titles and bragging rights.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, the two clubs will resume hostilities in Jeddah.

Almost certainly, the Saudi Classico will once again, one way or the other, have a major impact on the result of the Saudi Pro League title.