Video: Legal Expert Says Al Hilal's Foreign Players Can Unilaterally Break Their Contracts

Key Points

A major issue looms for the Saudi club as a legal expert reveals that several of Al Hilal's foreign players may terminate their contracts unilaterally in the near future.

During the winter window, Al Hilal added four foreign players, pushing the foreign contingent to 14—10 over-age and four under-23 prospects.

Expert Insight

Ayman Al-Rifai, the club's legal adviser, told Al Arabiya's "Al-Marma" that clubs can register 12 foreign players, eight over age and two under age, in the Roshen League, with the same cap in the Elite Cup.

If the quota is exceeded, the extras cannot play in the league, but may participate in the King's Cup and the Elite Asia Cup.

In practice, any unilateral termination would still have to pass FIFA's scrutiny and possible league approvals, so this remains a high-stakes legal discussion rather than a done deal.

Impact on Players

The status of Darwin Núñez and Marcus Leonardo remains unclear after Benzema joined and was added to the domestic list, leaving them out.

Additionally, the developments highlight ongoing tensions between player rights and club strategies in a high-stakes league.

Punchline 1: If contracts were bullets, these clauses would be aimed straight at the goalkeeper.

Punchline 2: In football negotiations, silence is golden—until Benzema arrives and suddenly everyone starts talking.