by It’s not often that the world football record goes from Wales to Saudi Arabia, except that Turkmenistan also has a claim. In March, Al-Hilal surpassed 27 consecutive top-flight victories set by New Wales Saints in 2016. The 18-man Saudi Arabian champions have extended that streak to 34 and look unstoppable at home and abroad country
The same can be said in central Asia where Arkadag FC has won every competitive game in its history. The 2023 league title was lifted in December with 72 points from 24 games. Throw in seven cup wins and six out of six so far this season and he’s 37 and counting. But the world record is in Riyadh, more than a thousand miles west.
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What gives? “There is very little data available for the Turkmenistan league, less than we need for the kind of due diligence we do in our research on this and similar records,” a spokesperson for Guinness World Records told the Guardian. “This could also be a sign of a level of governance and competition about what we would normally be looking for as well. Considering all this, we have confirmed Al-Hilal as the record holder.”
The lack of data may be due to the fact that Turkmenistan, home to 6.5 million people, is one of the most remote and secretive countries in the world and, even given the growing importance of the wider region in geopolitical matters, it is rarely mentioned. in the western media.
In terms of governance and competition, the way Arkadag was put together could also be an issue. It all started with Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the president of Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2022. Berdymukhamedov reveled in his nickname “Arkadag”, which means “hero defender”. One of his pet projects before handing over the reins of power to his son, Serdar (nominally, at least, as many observers believe his father is still pulling the strings), was the establishment of a new city in the south of the country , its smart city that cost over $5bn. A city called Arkadag, not surprisingly.
Over 70,000 people needed a football team and so, ahead of the 2023 season, the best players in the country joined the newly formed club. The national team stalwarts such as Arslanmyrat Amanow and Altymyrat Annadurdyyew were soon wearing the shirts designed by Berdymukhamedov and, unsurprisingly given his obsession with the animal, which had a horse logo on it. The league’s transfer window has been extended to facilitate this influx.
The rise of Arkadag FC is almost pleasantly nostalgic for anyone who remembers the ex-army outfits and secret police that dominated the eastern bloc leagues in the cold war era. Fans of rival clubs may not agree, however, especially when they are suspected of favoritism – for example in the November match with Sagadam when, with the score at 2-2 going into the final seconds, it was given Controversial punishment for the new boys and beyond. won. Indeed that game was a close one, with the champions finishing the season with a +66 goal difference. So far this season, that margin is +30 after six games.
There are few complaints from the public because Turkmenistan is not really the place to criticize projects close to the heart of the former president. Guinness World Records songs are unlikely to be well received. Berdymukhamedov is known to be keen to get his new city into the storybook in some way and club officials believe that once the team starts competing in the Asian competitions, scheduled for the summer, their case will be in black and white. to see Guinness.
Al-Hilal is also state-backed, largely owned as they are by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which is chaired by the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. There are also plenty of fans in the country who believe that the Blues get the better of referee decisions. To be fair to the Riyadh giants, they were the most successful club in Saudi Arabia and Asia in terms of titles – 18 and four respectively – before PIF took over in 2023. However, this season has been something else – the 34 they win in a row for an unprecedented four.
Last week the head coach, Jorge Jesus, and stars like Rúben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly (Neymar and Aleksandar Mitrovic injured) got their hands on trophy No. 1 with a 4-1 win over Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup final. . Riyadh’s rivals Al-Nassr were beaten in the semi-final, a game in which Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for hauling down Al-Hilal defender Ali al-Bulaihi.
Al-Hilal are 12 points clear of second-placed Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League with seven games to go. Series title 19 is coming in. Then there are two semi-finals in April: the King’s Cup, Saudi Arabia’s home competition, against Al-Ittihad, and the Asian Champions League final against Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Hilal are favorites to win both and a fifth Asian title would see them two clear of the other two most successful clubs: South Korea’s Pohang Steelers and Japan’s Urawa Reds.
Asia is also the next step for Arkadag. Can they translate their domestic dominance into overseas success? The ambition is certainly there and sooner or later they may find themselves on the same pitch as Al-Hilal in a match that neither team will be able to win for sure.
