Joga Bonito: 7 Samba stars to shine in 2024-25 RSL

The Roshn Saudi League has always shared a special relationship with Brazil and thus Brazilian players, with the South American nation supplying a huge number of foreign footballers to the league through the years.

From players of yesteryear like Rivellino and Denilson, to modern-day greats such as Neymar and Roberto Firmino, a cavalcade of Brazil’s best have at one time called Saudi Arabia home. This past season was no different, with more than 30 Brazilians sprinkled across the league.

So, to mark the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo taking place at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States on Saturday, we look at some of the standout Samba stars from the 2024-25 RSL.

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Fabinho - Al Ittihad

Right at the top, the former Liverpool midfielder walked away with his first RSL title as Al Ittihad dominated the second half of the season to storm away with the top-flight trophy, ultimately heading the league by eight points ahead of second-placed Al Hilal.

Capped 29 times by his national team, Fabinho has formed a dynamic relationship with N’Golo Kante in the centre of the park since joining the Jeddah giants in 2023; together, they form one of the best midfield duos in the league.

Ranked seventh in the league for passes and sixth for tackles, in every facet of the game Fabinho was crucial to Al Ittihad’s title success.

Check out the best images from Al Ittihad's title ceremony 

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Photo Albums 27 May 2025

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Marcos Leonardo - Al Hilal

The 22-year-old arrived in Riyadh with a burgeoning reputation after his time with both Santos and Benfica, and he showed why during a superb debut season for defending champions Al Hilal.

It’s never easy coming into a team that has won the title, let alone one that did so by breaking a slew of records, but Leonardo unmistakably made Al Hilal stronger this campaign - especially when deputising devastatingly for the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Leonardo’s 17 goals ranked him seventh in the 2024-25 RSL and included a scoring run of seven straight games; incredibly, he netted 11 times in that spell from December through to February.

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Galeno - Al Ahli

It’s hard to quantify the difference the former FC Porto winger made for Al Ahli, but it was significant.

Arriving only in February, the 27-year-old played 11 games in the RSL and registered three goals and two assists. However, Galeno changed how Al Ahli attacked structurally, which made them significantly more dangerous.

With that in mind, it’s no coincidence that Ivan Toney scored 16 of his 23 RSL goals – second only to golden boot winner Cristiano Ronaldo – after the Brazilian wideman arrived.

Undoubtedly, the crowning glory came in winning the AFC Champions League Elite, with Galeno’s goal in the final helping Al Ahli claim their first piece of continental silverware.

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Robert Renan - Al Shabab

The name Robert Renan might not have meant as much to a lot of RSL fans, but the 21-year-old certainly made something of a name for himself at Al Shabab this season.

The Brazil youth international arrived in September on loan from Russia's Zenit St Petersburg as an exciting defender full of potential, then promptly settled on the left side of defence for a team that improved under Fatih Terim's tutelage to eventually finish sixth.

By season’s end, Renan not only had three assists - the most of any defender at the club and more than the likes of legendary captain Abderrazak Hamdallah and veteran midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura - but also ranked fourth at Al Shabab for passes, and third for tackles and clearances.

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Bento - Al Nassr

Signing a top-quality goalkeeper was close to the top of Al Nassr’s wish list during last summer’s transfer window – and, in Bento, they found just what they were looking for.

After five seasons in his homeland with Athletico Paranaense, the 26-year-old made the move to Riyadh as Al Nassr looked to go one better than their RSL runner-up finish in 2023-24.

While they couldn't achieve that, ultimately finishing third, that wasn’t the fault of Bento, who concluded his first campaign ranked fourth across the league for clean sheets (nine) - ahead of Yassine Bono and Predrag Rajkovic. The Brazil international more than justified that pre-season faith.

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Vitinho - Al Ettifaq

After three seasons in the RSL, the former Flamengo midfielder had his best campaign yet in the Kingdom thanks in large part to Al Ettifaq manager Saad Al Shehri, who replaced Steven Gerrard in January.

Used more sparingly by the Liverpool legend at the beginning of the season, the Brazil youth international came alive in Al Shehri’s side, with four of his six goals and five of his seven assists coming in the back half of the season.

Recording his most productive campaign to date, Vitinho was vital to Al Ettifaq shooting up the table from 12th to finish seventh.

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Lucas Kal - Al Riyadh

The 29-year-old could have been described as a journeyman when he landed in the RSL at the beginning of last season from Atletico Goianiense, with Al Riyadh the eighth stop on his career since making his debut for Sao Paolo in 2017.

But, having embraced manager Sabri Lamouchi’s tutelage, Kal impressed at the heart of midfield for a side that oscillated between the top and bottom half of the table throughout the campaign.

With three goals and two assists, Kal also ranked third for passes and fourth for tackles at the club - a more-than-respectable return for someone experiencing the Saudi top flight for the first time.