Highest-valued Asian final: €185 million… Al-Ahly faces Kawasaki in Jeddah

By: Mamdoh Almalki

Jeddah will host the 2024-25 AFC Champions League final on Saturday evening, May 3, 2025. This will be a historic encounter between Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia and Kawasaki Frontale of Japan. This match is considered the most valuable in the history of the continental tournament, with the combined market value of the two clubs standing at approximately €185.2 million, with €169.93 million for Al-Ahly and €15.28 million for Kawasaki, according to Transfermarkt data.

The current edition of the tournament is the richest ever, with the Asian Football Confederation allocating unprecedented financial prizes. The champion receives $12 million, while the runner-up receives $6 million. A minimum of $800,000 is also allocated to clubs participating in the group stage, with gradual increases in the knockout stages up to the semi-finals. According to a survey conducted by Mal, the three Saudi clubs participating in the tournament (Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli) controlled 79.2% of the market value of the teams that qualified for the quarter-finals, reaching a combined value of €525.61 million, out of a total market value of €662.9 million for the eight teams. Al-Hilal topped the list with a value of €180 million, followed by Al-Nassr with €175.68 million, and then Al-Ahli.

These massive figures reflect the scale of Saudi investments in the football sector. The market value of the Saudi Professional League is estimated at SAR 4.4 billion, with plans to double it to more than SAR 8 billion and increase the league’s revenues to SAR 1.8 billion annually, contributing to the Kingdom’s vision of entering the list of the top 10 leagues in the world. Jeddah has hosted the final matches of the tournament since the quarter-finals at King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadiums, after the Asian Football Confederation selected the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to host the final rounds of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 editions.