Roberto Firmino, Édouard Mendy, and Riyad Mahrez etched their names into Asian football history on the night of May 3rd, helping Al-Ahli secure the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) title with a 2-0 victory over Kawasaki Frontale at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. With the win, the trio became the first players ever to win both the UEFA Champions League and its Asian equivalent.
While it’s not uncommon for players to conquer the highest club competitions across confederations, the UEFA–AFC double had remained elusive—until now.
Twelve players have won both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League, a list boasting names like Ronaldinho, Neymar, Carlos Tevez, and David Luiz. Nine have claimed the Copa Libertadores and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, including Agustín Delgado and Oscar Ruggeri. Only three—Paulinho, Alan, and Lucas Barrios—have achieved the Copa Libertadores–AFC Champions League feat, while Keylor Navas stands alone in winning both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Many had expected Cristiano Ronaldo to be the one to achieve the UEFA–ACLE double, but Al-Nassr’s semifinal loss to Kawasaki Frontale paved the way for Firmino, Mendy, and Mahrez to claim that milestone instead.
Firmino lifted the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2018/19, Mendy followed with Chelsea in 2020/21, and Mahrez joined the elite group with Manchester City in 2022/23. Fittingly, Mendy was named Best Goalkeeper of both tournaments.
In the final, Al-Ahli lived up to their billing as favorites. While Mendy produced crucial saves to deny Kawasaki any lifeline, Firmino orchestrated the attack with two assists—though neither he nor Mahrez got on the scoresheet. The goals came from Galeno and former AC Milan star Franck Kessié, sealing a clinical and composed performance by the Jeddah giants.
In the end, it wasn’t Ronaldo but a different trio of Champions League veterans who carved their names into Asian football folklore—reminding us that in this new global era of the sport, legacy knows no borders.