Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will award a one million riyal ($266,500) bonus to each Al Hilal player for their 3-2 win over South American champions Flamengo on Tuesday, which advanced them to the Club World Cup final.
Prince Alwaleed, chairman of the Kingdom Holding Co, is a big fan of the Saudi club and announced on social media that if they win the final on Saturday, he will give them a similar amount.
Furthermore, Saudi sports channel SSC reported that the country’s sports minister will award each player 500,000 riyals for Flamengo’s victory.
On Wednesday, the final will be played against the winner of the other semi-final between Real Madrid of Spain and Al Ahly of Egypt.
It is the first time a Saudi team has reached the Club World Cup final, and the country’s government has hailed it as another competitive achievement following their national team’s World Cup victory over Argentina in November.
“The victory is a tangible confirmation of Saudi sports’ recent great distinction,” Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz al-Faisal said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Al Hilal won thanks to two penalties from Salem Al Dawsari and a close-range strike from Luciano Vietto in a second half that saw Flamengo reduced to ten men after midfielder Gerson was sent off in first-half stoppage time.
Flamengo manager Vitor Pereira blamed the defeat on the referees.
“We were ready to play Al Hilal, but not for refereeing that was not up to competition standards,” Pereira said at a news conference in Tangier on Tuesday.
