Al-Hilal vs Mamelodi Sundowns: Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips | Club Friendly, July 24, 2026

Two of football’s most ambitious clubs from two very different corners of the world lock horns in Austria on Friday, July 24, when Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in a heavyweight pre-season friendly.

The fixture pitches the reigning Saudi King’s Cup holders against the reigning CAF Champions League winners, making it considerably more than a routine warm-up exercise, even if both managers will have one eye on building fitness and testing combinations ahead of the new campaign.

Match Preview

For Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal, the 2025/26 season was one of the great what-ifs in Saudi football history.

The Blue Waves went the entirety of their 34-match Saudi Pro League campaign without tasting defeat, winning 25 and drawing nine, yet still found themselves finishing as runners-up when rivals Al-Nassr edged them to the title by two points.

It was a unique kind of heartbreak, falling short despite posting one of the most remarkable unbeaten domestic runs in the history of Asian club football.

There was consolation in the King’s Cup, which Al-Hilal secured to end the season with something tangible, though exit at the Round of 16 stage in the AFC Champions League Elite left Inzaghi’s squad with a sense of unfulfilled potential on the continental stage.

The club wasted no time in addressing ambitions ahead of 2026/27, with a blockbuster deal to sign Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville from West Ham agreed for a reported €80m, underlining that Al-Hilal’s appetite for recruitment at the highest level remains as sharp as ever.

Their Austrian pre-season started with real purpose, beating Sturm Graz 2-1 in their opening friendly on July 19, with Karim Benzema opening the scoring inside four minutes and Malcom doubling the lead after the hour mark.

Mamelodi Sundowns, meanwhile, arrive at this fixture draped in continental glory.

Miguel Cardoso’s side were crowned CAF Champions League winners for the second time in their history in May, producing a controlled two-legged final performance to beat Morocco’s AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate and add a second star to the Sundowns badge.

Teboho Mokoena delivered the decisive goal in the second leg in Rabat, and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams capped the triumph with a crucial late penalty save that ensured the trophy made its way to Pretoria.

Domestically, the Brazilians had to settle for second best, finishing just one point behind Orlando Pirates as the Buccaneers ended what had been a nine-season stranglehold Sundowns had held over the PSL title.

The Austrian camp comes with added emotional weight for Sundowns, who delayed the start of their European tour last week following the passing of midfielder Jayden Adams, a loss felt deeply across the entire club.

They began their pre-season in Mondsee with a 1-1 draw against Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin on July 21, with new signing Antonio van Wyk, who joined from Austrian outfit SV Ried, marking his debut with a goal.

Hertha head coach Stefan Leitl notably praised the challenge Sundowns posed his side, pointing to their 3-1 win over RB Leipzig in Pretoria in late May as evidence of just how sharp the Tshwane giants remain.

Both sides head into Friday’s match unbeaten in their most recent pre-season outings, in good spirits and with squads building toward competitive readiness.

Head-to-Head

These two clubs have met just once before, in a pre-season friendly played in July 2024, and it was Mamelodi Sundowns who came out on top, winning 2-1.

Friday’s match is therefore only the second meeting between Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and the Brazilians in any competition, and both clubs will be keen to make a stronger impression this time around.

There is no shortage of shared ambition between the two sides when it comes to dominating their respective competitions, and a third meeting at some stage in the growing network of intercontinental club football would not surprise anyone closely watching both trajectories.

For now, the only meaningful reference point is that 2024 friendly defeat, and Al-Hilal will carry a quiet motivation to put that right in front of a pre-season crowd in Austria.

Team News

Al-Hilal will be without two of their most important players for this fixture, with the club having confirmed ahead of the match that both Salem Al-Dawsari and Hassan Al-Tambakti are absent through injury.

Al-Dawsari, the Saudi Arabia captain and Al-Hilal’s long-serving talisman, suffered a tear to the tendon in his right foot while representing his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is currently following a rehabilitation programme.

Al-Tambakti, the commanding centre-back, is also sidelined as he continues his recovery, with both players expected to be unavailable for between one and a half and two months.

Crysencio Summerville is yet to join his new teammates following the completion of his move from West Ham and will not feature here.

The lineup Inzaghi deployed against Sturm Graz provides the clearest guide to his pre-season thinking, with Mohammed Al-Yami in goal, a back four of Rayan Al-Ghamdi, Saad Al-Mutairi, Mishal Al-Dawoud and Murad Al-Hawsawi, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Saimon Bouabre providing drive from midfield.

Karim Benzema and Malcom were both sharp in that victory and look set to continue as key figures at the top of the pitch, while Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, Theo Hernandez, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves all add considerable depth and quality across the squad.

For Mamelodi Sundowns, the notable absentee is winger Monnapule Saleng, who did not travel to Austria due to injury, with the nature and severity of the setback not yet confirmed.

Saleng joined the Brazilians from Orlando Pirates earlier this year and had been firmly in Miguel Cardoso’s plans, so his absence is a frustration even at this early stage of the pre-season.

Antonio van Wyk’s goal against Hertha Berlin on his debut made a strong first impression and he looks set to compete for a wide role, while Bennet Mokoena, who scored against RB Leipzig in May, is another young player pushing for game time under Cardoso.

Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Iqraam Rayners, Marcelo Allende and Tashreeq Matthews are among the established names who will form the core of what Cardoso fields here, with rotations inevitable across two halves of play.

Al-Hilal Predicted XI (4-3-3)

Mohammed Al-Yami; Rayan Al-Ghamdi, Kalidou Koulibaly, Saad Al-Mutairi, Theo Hernandez; Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, Murad Al-Hawsawi; Malcom, Karim Benzema, Saimon Bouabre.

Mamelodi Sundowns Predicted XI (4-3-3)

Ronwen Williams; Khuliso Mudau, Grant Kekana, Mothobi Mvala, Keanu Cupido; Teboho Mokoena, Marcelo Allende, Miguel Reisinho; Tashreeq Matthews, Iqraam Rayners, Nuno Santos.

Star Players

 

Star Player Comparison Al-Hilal vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Al-Hilal Ruben Neves Central Midfielder | Portugal League Apps 31 Goals 11 Assists 7 WhoScored Rating 7.93	VS	Mamelodi Sundowns Teboho Mokoena Central Midfielder | South Africa League Apps 23 Goals 2 Assists 5 CAFCL Final Goal ✓
Stats: 2025/26 domestic league season

The contrast between these two midfield generals tells a wider story about each club’s ambitions.

Ruben Neves was the standout performer in the Saudi Pro League all season long, finishing with a rating of 7.93 to lead all Al-Hilal players, contributing 11 goals and seven assists from central midfield across 31 appearances.

The Portugal international has been one of the most complete midfielders in Asian football since arriving in Riyadh, and he brings an intensity and range of passing that will make him difficult for Sundowns to contain.

Teboho Mokoena, meanwhile, is the heartbeat of Mamelodi Sundowns and carries the emotional weight of being the man who struck the decisive blow in the CAF Champions League final in Rabat.

The 28-year-old is as comfortable dictating tempo as he is making late runs into the box, and his energy will be crucial to any Sundowns response against Al-Hilal’s technically gifted midfield trio.

The Managers

Simone Inzaghi arrived in Saudi Arabia in June 2025 as one of the most in-demand coaches in European football, signing off from Inter Milan having reached two UEFA Champions League finals in three years and built one of the most tactically cohesive sides in recent Serie A history.

The 50-year-old Italian is no stranger to managing expectation, and he demonstrated that composure throughout a demanding debut season at Al-Hilal, navigating a squad that carries extraordinary individual talent while keeping them focused through a punishing schedule that spanned domestic, continental and international fixtures.

The King’s Cup was a tangible return for his first campaign, and heading into 2026/27, Inzaghi will be determined to add the Saudi Pro League title that narrowly eluded him.

Miguel Cardoso, by contrast, has very much established himself against the odds.

The 54-year-old Portuguese joined Mamelodi Sundowns in December 2024, replacing Manqoba Mngqithi, and faced immediate questions about his suitability for such a demanding role.

He answered them emphatically, guiding Sundowns to the CAF Champions League title in his first full season and becoming only the second Portuguese manager ever to win the competition, following in the footsteps of Manuel Jose.

Cardoso has spoken openly about the doubts he faced on arrival in South Africa and the satisfaction that came from silencing them, and he enters the new campaign with the confidence of a coach who has proved he belongs at the highest level of African football.

Both men now face the challenge of building on major domestic or continental success, and this friendly in Austria offers an early chance to see how their squads are shaping up for the battles ahead.

Tactical Preview

Inzaghi built his reputation at Lazio and Inter Milan on a fluid 3-5-2 system, but he has adapted pragmatically at Al-Hilal, deploying a 4-3-3 that better accommodates the wide quality of players like Malcom and Salem Al-Dawsari.

In the system he showed against Sturm Graz, Al-Hilal look to press aggressively from the front, with Benzema making clever runs in behind as a focal point while Malcom operates as a high-intensity winger who cuts inside onto his stronger right foot.

Neves and Milinkovic-Savic provide complementary engines in the midfield three, one controlling tempo and the other adding physicality and goal threat from deep, making them difficult to pin down without conceding space elsewhere.

Against Al-Hilal’s press, Mamelodi Sundowns will need to be sharp and composed in possession.

Cardoso’s 4-3-3 is built on structure and high defensive organisation, with Teboho Mokoena’s ability to win the ball back quickly in central areas key to how Sundowns build from midfield.

Tashreeq Matthews and Nuno Santos on the flanks offer pace on the counter-attack, and if Sundowns can absorb Al-Hilal’s initial momentum and transition at speed, Iqraam Rayners has the composure in front of goal to punish any defensive lapse.

The key duel may be on the right side of Al-Hilal’s attack, where Malcom against Sundowns’ left-back will be one to watch.

The Brazilian winger was sharp and direct in the Sturm Graz win, and without Al-Dawsari available to provide an alternative threat on the opposite flank, Al-Hilal will likely channel significant play through Malcom’s side.

If Sundowns’ full-backs can stay disciplined and compact, they have enough quality to frustrate even the most dangerous pre-season attack, but any sustained pressure from Inzaghi’s side is likely to ask serious questions of a defensive unit still finding its fitness and rhythm.

Betting Tips and Predictions

 

! Betting Tips Al-Hilal vs Mamelodi Sundowns

1 Both Teams to Score: Yes Al-Hilal boast devastating attacking depth with Benzema, Malcom, Nunez and Marcos Leonardo all competing for roles, while Sundowns’ Iqraam Rayners and Tashreeq Matthews offer a genuine goal threat at the other end. Pre-season fixtures between squads of this calibre tend to produce scoring from both sides, and the value here sits well above the risk. Best Bet

2 Malcom to Score Anytime The Brazilian winger opened his pre-season account with a goal against Sturm Graz on July 19, arriving at this match in fine goalscoring touch. With Al-Dawsari absent, Malcom will carry even greater creative responsibility for Al-Hilal and looks the most likely individual goal threat in this fixture.

3 Over 2.5 Goals When two squads carrying firepower of this magnitude meet in a pre-season environment, goals tend to follow. Both managers will use this match to give attacking players competitive minutes rather than focus purely on defensive solidity, and the attacking depth available to each side makes a high-scoring game more probable than not.

Gambling should be enjoyed responsibly. Please gamble within your means. 18+ only. These tips are for informational purposes only.

This match offers a rare opportunity to see two of the world’s most expensively assembled club squads operate in close proximity, and while pre-season results carry limited weight in terms of the broader competitive season, the quality across both rosters makes for a compelling 90 minutes.

Al-Hilal’s attacking depth is genuinely frightening even without Al-Dawsari, and Benzema’s eagerness to get off the mark early in pre-season was evident in the Sturm Graz win.

Sundowns are not here to simply absorb pressure, though, as Cardoso has built a side with the physical intensity and tactical organisation to compete against opponents with significantly larger budgets.

The Africa Soccer article that followed the Hertha Berlin draw noted that Leitl himself said Sundowns “challenged us in every aspect,” which is exactly the kind of statement that underlines why the Brazilians should not be dismissed as simply along for the ride.

Score Prediction

 

Match Prediction Al-Hilal vs Mamelodi Sundowns

Al-Hilal 2 – Sundowns 1

Key Reasons › Al-Hilal boast the greater squad depth overall, with international-level quality throughout every line. › Malcom’s pre-season sharpness makes him the standout goal threat, and he carries the creativity that Al-Dawsari’s absence demands. › Sundowns will compete well and their defensive structure under Cardoso is reliable, but the Saudi Pro League roster has too much individual quality to be kept at bay for 90 minutes. › The CAF Champions League winners are likely to grab a goal of their own, with Rayners or Matthews capable of catching Al-Hilal in transition. › Both sides will rotate, keeping the scoreline close and competitive throughout.

Friday’s fixture in Austria is the kind of pre-season encounter that is genuinely difficult to come by.

The level of collective talent available to both managers is extraordinary by any measure, and even with notable absentees on each side, the quality remaining in both squads is more than enough to produce an entertaining and competitive 90 minutes.

Inzaghi’s men look the more likely winners on the balance of overall squad quality and pre-season momentum, but Mamelodi Sundowns’ continental pedigree and the hard-nosed winning mentality Cardoso has embedded in this group ensure Friday’s match is far from a foregone conclusion.