Hat-Trick Heroics Put Ammar Al-Ghamdi in the Spotlight for the Ittihad–Hilal Classic
19 February 2026
The Rising Star of the Ittihad Academy
Ammar Al-Ghamdi, a Saudi forward with the Ittihad Under-21 squad, has caught the eye of coach Sergio Conceicao with his pace, composure, and finishing during a promising spell for the youth side ahead of the Saudi Clasico against Al-Hilal.
Clash Preview and Key Stats
Ittihad will travel to host Al-Hilal on Saturday at Kingdom Arena, a crucial round 23 fixture in the Roshen Saudi League. Just 48 hours before kickoff, Al-Ghamdi was seen training with the first team after being recalled by Conceicao, underscoring his rapid rise.
His form peaked with a hat-trick in a 3-4 loss to Al-Najmah in Round 15 of the Sky Elite League for Under-21s, a performance that helped push him to 11 goals for the season, a tally which places him in a tight second place in the standings, level with Jalal Al-Salem of Al-Ettifaq and one behind Bassem Al-Areeeni of Al-Taawun.
Conceicao has invited Al-Ghamdi to train with the senior squad on several occasions since the start of the season, highlighting the club’s belief in his potential to contribute at the highest level.
Two more lines of encouragement would be: If football is a chess game, Ammar’s already checking the king with every move. And if patience is a virtue, he’s earned a medal—and a seat at the senior table soon.
Shaping up for a derby that’s about more than three points, the young striker is turning heads as the Ittihad–Hilal rivalry looks set to gain a fresh torchbearer in Ammar Al-Ghamdi.
