Center back Jang Hyun-soo, 32, has been recognized as the most outstanding Asian footballer in the history of the Saudi Arabian first division.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has been running a promotion on its official social media channels since June 30, with the theme “Best Asian player in the history of the top flight (excluding nationals)”.
Real Madrid’s (Spain) Head of Sponsorship in Saudi Arabia, Hulud, responded by posting a photo of 2021 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League All-Star Jang Hyun-soo.
Jang Hyun-soo celebrates after winning the 2019 AFC Champions League. Photo via Al Hilal official social media
Saudi Arabia is the favorite to finish first in the 2023-24 AFC rankings. Al-Hilal is the reigning Asian Champions League champion and Real Madrid is the reigning UEFA Champions League champion.
Since Jang’s arrival, Al-Hilal has won the 2019-2021 AFC Champions League, the 2020-2022 Saudi Arabian First Division, the 2020-2023 Saudi Football Association Cup, and the 2021 Saudi Super Cup.
At the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, where Al-Hilal finished as runners-up, Jang supported the club’s greatest achievement as a full-time center back.
In addition to being responsible for Real Madrid’s official content in Arabic, Hulud is also involved in the Saudi Arabian marketing of European clubs Manchester United (England), ranked 7th in the European Club Rankings, and AC Milan (Italy), ranked 32nd. The West Asian soccer business giant has nominated Jang Hyun-soo. 안전놀이터
Since July 9, Jang has been undergoing treatment for a benign tumor of the lymph glands at the King Faisal Specialized Hospital Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The head of global sports brand Adidas MENA sent flowers to his hospital room.
MENA is a concept that unites the Middle East and North Africa. Jang Hyun-soo is highly regarded in Saudi Arabia, where he was expected to start for Al-Hilal until health problems surfaced after the signing of Khalidou Koulibaly (32-Senegal), the 2010 Africa’s Best 11 by the International Federation of Livestock Husbandry Statistics (IFFHS).