Saudi football fans will be glued to their screens on Friday evening, December 26th, for the highly anticipated match between Al-Khaleej and Al-Hilal, part of the eleventh round of the Saudi Professional League. Kick-off is at 8:30 PM, in a match that holds special significance for Al-Khaleej's Greek playmaker, Kostas Fortounis.
The Greek professional playing for Al-Khaleej is awaiting a golden opportunity to break his previous personal best with his club during this challenging match. Fortounis has been delivering exceptional and completely different performances this season, establishing himself as one of the league's standout players thanks to his high attacking efficiency. Statistics indicate that the player has contributed to 13 goals so far, scoring 4 and providing 9 assists for his teammates, after only 9 rounds of the 2025/26 Roshan League season.
This remarkable performance puts Fortounis just one step away from equaling his total goal contributions from last season, and only two more to surpass that record. The Greek star played 30 league matches for Al-Khaleej last season (2024/25), scoring 9 goals and providing 5 assists, for a total of 14 goal contributions. The significant difference in the time it takes to reach these figures reflects the player's remarkable progress in integrating into the team's system and adapting to the Saudi Arabian football environment.
Returning to the player's background, the 33-year-old joined Al-Khaleej from Greek giants Olympiacos during the summer transfer window, bringing with him extensive European experience. This move proved successful, as Fortounis became a cornerstone of the team's attacking play and the mastermind the coach relies on to unlock opposing defenses.
The match takes on added importance given the two teams' positions in the league table. Al-Khaleej currently sits in sixth place with 14 points and aims for a positive result against Al-Hilal to solidify their position in the mid-table and move closer to the top four. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal enters the match in second place with 23 points, focused on securing all three points to continue their pursuit of the top spot. This makes the task facing Fortunis and his teammates a daunting one against Al-Hilal's formidable attacking and defensive arsenal.
If Fortunes succeeds in breaking his record against a team the size of Al-Hilal, it will not just be a personal record achievement, but will be a confirmation message of the quality of professionals in the Roshan League and the ability of mid-table clubs to compete with the big teams, thus raising the technical and competitive value of the competition regionally and internationally.
