This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress-Rabat-Fifa
The Moroccan international goalkeeper claims that the title champions of the Saudi League expect a lot from the 2025 edition of the Club World Cup.
Yassine Bounou hopes to shine in the Al Hilal jersey during the first FIFA club World Cup 2025 ™
Al Hilal will play in the H group Alongside Real Madrid CF, Mexicans from CF Pachuca, and Austrians of FC Salzburg
Al Hilal faced Real Madrid in the FIFA 2022 ™ FIFA Club World Cup final
A new chapter in the history of Al Hilal will be written on June 18, when the players of the Asian giant will work on the lawn of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami to face Real Madrid and fully live the first edition of the FIFA ™ club World Cup. “It is a great honor for me to represent Al Hilal to this club World Cup,” said Moroccan international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, one of the stars of the Saudi club who shone with Morocco during Qatar 2022 ™, where he played a central role in the Atlas lions’ journey to the semi-finals.
Al Hilal will start in the World Cup by facing the Merengues, 15 times European champions. A Madrid team that Bounou met 10 times during his visit by the Spanish Liga, when he was a player in Girona first, then in Seville. For its part, the Saudi team faced the White House in the FIFA 2022 ™ FIFA World Cup final, won 5-3 by Los Blancos in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Known for its exceptional performances between the posts, Bounou was crowned with the Zamora prize for the best goalkeeper of La Liga at the end of the 2021/22 season, before winning the prize for the best African goalkeeper of the year 2023, and the best goalkeeper the Saudi league during the 2023/24 season. The porter of Al Hilal confides in FIFA and talks in particular about the Club World Cup, which will be played in a format at 32 teams from June 14 to July 13, 2025. FIFA: What does you mean for you to be able to participate in this first edition of the Club World Cup with 32 teams and to face world football giants?
Yassine Bounou : It is a great honor for us that Al Hilal is part of the first World Cup of clubs. We hope to give the best possible image and honor our club.
THE real Madrid will be your first opponent. Is this an additional motivation for you?
The best clubs in the world participate in the World Cup, and Real Madrid is one of them, of course. But we must not forget the other two rivals of our group, Pachuca and Salzburg.
Real Madrid is the third team you have faced the most in your career. What does this mean for you to play against this European and world football giant, especially since it is the first time that you do it in the Al Hilal jersey?
It is true that I faced Real Madrid many times and I have several friends there. In Spain, I often met Real Madrid supporters in the street. There has always been mutual respect. I have faced many major teams in my career. I am proud that Real Madrid is part of it, and it will be a great honor for me to do this this time by wearing the Al Hilal jersey, a club known all over the world.
Al Hilal will play in group H alongside Real Madrid, Mexicans of See Pachucaand Austrians of FC Salzburg. How do you assess your chances of qualifying for the direct elimination phase?
In modern football, there are no easy matches, especially in a tournament of this level. Our goal is to go as far as possible. And on a personal level, my goal is to achieve something that I have never done before in a world championship … Something that goes beyond what I have achieved with the Moroccan national team.
You were one of the stars of the Moroccan national team who qualified for the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022 ™. Do you think this experience will help you at the next club World Cup?
Participating in the World Cup is something important in the career of any player. I hope I can make the most of this experience to help my team.
As a result of Wydad de Casablanca and ex-player of Atlético Madridwould you like to face one of your old teams in the club World Cup?
In fact, I would prefer not to face them (laughs). But I wish them these two teams to go as far as possible.
What atmosphere are you waiting for in the United States this summer, when supporters of the best clubs in the world go there to share their passion for football?
The World Cup has always been a place where various cultures meet in the same country and the same stage, and I think that the atmosphere will also be spectacular this time.
Recently, Al Hilal has become popular worldwide. What does you mean for you to play in front of an American audience who is generally used to seeing you only on TV?
In the Arab world, we know exactly what it means playing in front of our supporters, and we understand the importance of this for Al Hilal in this World Cup. The big clubs aspire to extend their communities of fans in this type of championship. We have supporters in different continents, and our participation in the Club World Cup will be positive in this regard.
That represents for you to compete in this tournament in the United States, whose stadiums will host many matches of The FIFA World Cup 2026 ™ ?
All players want to represent their country at the World Cup. For the moment, I have the opportunity to participate in the Club World Cup, and it is a great honor for me to represent Al Hilal in this tournament, where we want to do the best possible performance.
