Video: Rúben Neves the hero of a thrilling twist with Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia | Goal.com

Published on 17 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Ruben Neves keeps writing one of the most captivating stories in an Al-Hilal shirt. The Portugal midfielder has become a lethal scoring weapon from the penalty spot, a striking irony that leaves him front and centre whenever "the Boss" need a player with nerves of steel in the decisive moments.

Neves opened the scoring against Al-Raed on Monday evening, in the round of 32 of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup. He tucked away the penalty in the 13th minute, proving once more that he barely knows the path to failure when he stands over the spot.

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Most exciting of all, the strike took him to three goals in just two matches this season. Here's the twist: every one of those three came from a penalty, after he found the net twice against Al-Faisaly in the opening round of the Roshn League in exactly the same fashion.

All of Al-Hilal's last three goals have come from penalties, and every one bears Neves's signature. That has made him the story of the start of the season.

The numbers lay bare the irony of his role. Once a fundamental link in building play and creating balance in midfield, he has become one of "the Boss's" most dangerous weapons in front of goal, as if the penalty spot were his own private sphere of influence, one he lets nobody else challenge him for.

Since joining Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023, Neves has taken 19 penalties and scored 17 of them, with only two misses. That success rate is extraordinary, and it explains why the coaching staff and the fans put so much faith in the Portuguese when he steps up.

So Neves is living a unique irony at Al-Hilal. A midfielder turned penalty specialist, and the closer he gets to the ball on the spot, the greater "the Boss's" chances of hitting the net. His penalties have gone from a fleeting opportunity to a lethal weapon that can decide the toughest matches.

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