Ruben Neves’s Double Impact: Al Hilal Break Neom’s Resistance in a 2-1 Saudi Pro League Triumph
18 January 2026
Match Highlights
Portuguese star Ruben Neves continued his sensational form for Al Hilal as they edged Neom 2-1 in Round 16 of the Saudi Pro League. He influenced the win directly, assisting the opener and then adding a late penalty to seal the result.
Neves produced the assist for the first goal with a superb corner that Hasan Tambakti steered into the net in the 49th minute, giving the champions a vital lead.
Moments later, Neves himself confirmed the win by calmly converting from the penalty spot in the 66th minute of the second half.
His display underlined a remarkable chapter in his career, contributing in three consecutive matches with a goal and an assist after victories over Al-Hazem (3-0) and Al-Nassr (3-1) prior to tonight.
Neves’s tally now stands at 12 goal contributions in 21 appearances this season across domestic and continental competitions, with eight goals and four assists. If this pace persists, defenses might want to start charging admission for a preview of his next performance. Punchline: If goals were bullets, Neves would be a one-man artillery unit. Punchline 2: The trophy shelf just filed a complaint—Neves keeps stealing the spotlight from the rest of the team.
