62 years of rivalry: a new tale that could reignite the Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad feud

A fierce battle

Saudi football fans are preparing to follow a new chapter in one of the most storied rivalries in the history of the domestic league, when Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad meet on the evening of Saturday 10 October, in the eighth round of the Roshn League.

This is no ordinary clash between two giants. It's a chance to revive an old battle, one that threw the two sides together in the title race across 12 different seasons, and the signs suggest history could write another chapter this term.

The story began in 1964. Al-Ittihad edged out Al-Hilal in the title race under the system that governed the competition at the time, before Al-Hilal hit back the following season and claimed the title at their rival's expense.

From that start, the moments that pitted them against each other in a direct fight for silverware kept coming, turning their rivalry into one of the most prominent historic clashes in Saudi football.

The league era renewed the feud in 1985-1986, when Al-Hilal took the title ahead of Al-Ittihad. The Dean returned to the summit in 1996-1997, crowned champions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques League Cup at their rival's expense. The Leader didn't wait long to respond, snatching the title back in 2001-2002. Supremacy in these meetings has passed back and forth between the two sides across the generations.

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Unforgettable moments in the Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad rivalry
The years that followed produced one of the fiercest spells of rivalry between the two clubs. Al-Ittihad took the title at Al-Hilal's expense in 2006-2007. Al-Hilal struck back to regain the upper hand in 2007-2008.
As the Professional League opened its new era in 2008-2009, Al-Ittihad came again to pip Al-Hilal to the crown, another twist in a rivalry that never stayed settled for long.
Al-Hilal answered over the next two campaigns, lifting the league trophy in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 as the two giants went toe to toe.
A direct scrap with Al-Ittihad then saw Al-Hilal reclaim the title in 2021-2022. The latest chapter arrived in 2024-2025, when Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad were crowned champions at Al-Hilal's expense, adding yet another instalment to this long story.

Will Saturday's Clasico mark the start of a new chapter?
The conditions now look ripe for this rivalry to roar back to the forefront. Al-Hilal sit top of the Roshn League on 18 points, with Al-Ittihad one behind on 17, and the two meet head to head in the eighth round. That hands the clasico double significance: the result could flip the standings at the summit and hand one side an early boost in the title race.
Win it, and Al-Hilal stretch the gap to four points while sending a powerful message that they are the strongest candidate to retain top spot. Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, go in chasing the summit, determined to prove their recent crowning was no passing moment and that they can repeat the trick against their old foe.
Read also: Clasico laid bare: has the time come for Inzaghi's downfall?
Al-Hilal want to confirm their superiority. Al-Ittihad want to flip the equation. All eyes turn to a clash that may carry far more than three points.
After 62 years of trading milestones, the big question remains: will this season revive the historic duel between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad for the league title, or will one of them pull clear early? Ninety minutes won't settle it entirely. But Saturday's clasico may give the fans the first clear sign that a new chapter in the battle for gold has truly begun.