Quinones Shines in the Saudi League
Mexican forward Julian Quinones, Al Qadisiyah’s striker, earned praise after shining in a win over Neom in Round Five of the Roshn Saudi League on Sunday.
Quinones scored all of his team's goals in 3-1 win, recording his first hat-trick this season and sixth since competition began.
Since last season, the Mexican forward has reached his sixth goal, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr, league's top scorer over the past two seasons, who has five goals this campaign.
El Universal, the Mexican outlet, highlighted Quinones's performance leading Al Qadisiyah's attack, noting his superiority over Ronaldo and his Saudi league hat-trick tonight.
And the report said Quinones, Mexico's forward tipped for World Cup 2026, had a day in Saudi League on Sunday.
And he added: 'The former Club America striker, back with Al Qadisiyah, was the key to the 3-1 win over Neom' tonight.
And Mexico hosts the World Cup edition with the United States and Canada, which makes the Mexican team hopeful of going far in a tournament hosted on home soil.
And the report noted that the Colombian-born forward helped his team secure a key victory, lifting them to second in the standings again.
Noting that Quinones capped his performance with a hat-trick and man-of-the-match, he climbed the league's top-scorer list this season, as expected today.
With six goals, Quinones trails the top scorer, Portuguese Joao Felix of Al Nassr, who has eight, and Norwegian Joshua King of Gulf, who has seven this season.
And the report continued: 'Former Atlas player outshone Cristiano Ronaldo'.
And he added: 'Al Qadisiyah will next face Al Khoud in round six on October 25, offering a great chance for Quinones to continue his scoring run and lead the scorers' chart'.
Note that Quinones scored 20 goals last season, partnering with Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, former Al Qadisiyah striker and now at Marseille, forming a dangerous strike duo that helped their teams secure important wins against many of big clubs.
Mànage a bright future
And Al Qadisiyah filled Aubameyang's departure by signing Matteo Ritigi, top scorer from Atalanta and the Italian league, continuing chapter of striker brilliance for red shirts.
And the chapters of European clubs pursuing standout players in the Roshn Saudi Pro League continue after attempts—some successful—to lure foreign stars from Saudi Arabia to the old continent abroad.
But this time it's not just about stars who delivered standout performances over a season or more, but after only a few weeks since league's start, European temptations begin.
And several newspapers noted Manchester United's strong interest in bringing one of this season's standout Saudi league stars to strengthen their frontline.
And it's Matteo Ritigi, the Italians' star linked with a move to Manchester United last season, and Al Qadisiyah's talisman, who could prove a fitting successor to Aubameyang’s departure.
And Al Qadisiyah signed Ritigi from Atalanta last summer for about 59 million pounds, meaning if the club agrees to United's bid, they would have to sell for a somewhat lower price than they paid the Italian team initially.
And Ritigi needed little time to adapt to Saudi football, scoring 3 goals in 5 games for the Knights this season.
And the Italian press had previously spotlighted Ritigi's potential in Europe after some talk linking Fiorentina to Ivory Coast twin Frank Kessi from Al Ahli, with Chelsea also reportedly pursuing him, but no formal moves were announced at the time.
Also, Eki Fernandez moved from Al Qadisiyah to Bayer Leverkusen after a single Saudi season, and there were links with Karim Benzema at Al Ittihad as well as talk of Benfica interest coached by Jose Mourinho, his former Real Madrid boss, plus Fenerbahce’s pursuit of a new attacking option.
Among other prominent names, Karim Benzema, striker for Al Ittihad, remains on the radar of clubs; besides his name linked with Benfica, coached by Jose Mourinho, who was his manager at Real Madrid, there is also Fenerbahce seeking a attacking force for the future.
Punchline 1: If Quinones keeps this up, the ball might start wearing sunglasses to avoid being the butt of the jokes.
Punchline 2: Ronaldo asked for tips; Quinones replied: 'Try a hat-trick—it's like a software update for your footwork'.
