Fabinho focused on strong end to season to fuel Brazil World Cup bid | OneFootball

For Al Ittihad captain Fabinho, there remains plenty to play for across the final stretch of this gripping Roshn Saudi League season.

First, there’s the recent confirmation that a fifth-placed finish will bring with it possible qualification to the next AFC Champions League Elite.

With Al Ittihad sitting sixth and beginning their five-match closing schedule on Wednesday with a trip to fifth-placed Al Taawoun, there’s renewed incentive to throw everything into ending the campaign on a high. Going into Matchweek 30, the reigning RSL champions trail their Buraidah opponents by four points.

Take fifth and thus make the 2026-27 Asian play-off, and Al Ittihad will be granted the opportunity to keep the continent’s premier club trophy in Jeddah. Across town, city rivals Al Ahli have only just retained it.

Then, personally for Fabinho, there’s the no-small-matter of a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. The Brazil midfielder, who represented his country four years ago in Qatar, returned to Carlo Ancelotti's squad for last month's friendlies with France and Croatia.

Fabinho's in good enough fettle to stay there. Having assumed the role as Al Ittihad captain following Karim Benzema’s departure, he has led by example, playing 26 of his side's 28 RSL matches and contributing the second-most minutes of anyone at the club. Only Danilo Pereira has clocked up more than Fabinho's 2,282.

"Physically, I feel very good, perhaps even better than I did in the past," the Brazilian tells the Saudi Pro League. "I continue to give my best to be in the Brazil national team.

"It's very special to return there after almost three years away, to be called up to experience the day-to-day life of the national team, to be there with the players, to enter a game. It was very special.

"It's a World Cup year, so expectations are always very high, especially when you get a chance to be there. From the moment you're there, the chances of you competing in the World Cup are high.

"That's my goal for the season: to be at my very best level to be in the national team squad. And I hope that happens."

In that regard, the next month or so will prove vitally important. It’s been a difficult RSL title defence for Al Ittihad who, after capturing last term’s top-flight crown with two games to spare, changed manager four rounds into this season.

France World Cup winner Laurent Blanc departed, with former Portugal international Sergio Conceicao his replacement. Since, the results have been inconsistent: Al Ittihad have won 10 of the Portuguese’s 24 RSL matches in charge.

That said, across his three seasons in the Kingdom, Fabinho has witnessed both the growth of the Jeddah giants and the RSL itself.

"Speaking a little about my club, the difference from the first year to now has been significant in terms of organisation and professionalism," the former Liverpool star says. "Which is something we said needed improvement at the beginning.

"Today, with the arrival of directors and people who take care of the club, the organisation has improved tremendously. It's much more professional; we have to worry much more [instead] about what we do on the pitch.

"Overall, the progress has been huge. Last year was a very good year for us. We won the league and the King’s Cup. We played very good football."

That cup success, sealed with a Benzema-inspired victory in the final against Al Qadsiah, made the season all the more memorable.

"The cup was very special achievement," Fabinho says. "It was really cool to know how they experience the King's Cup here; some Saudi players told me it was very special.

"It was really cool to experience the spectacle of the final and have [His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] in the stadium. It was also really cool to see the respect and admiration people have for him.”

Fabinho’s role in securing the 2024-25 double was huge. He started 32 of Al Ittihad’s 34 RSL matches, while he featured in all five games on way to the cup, too. He even scored in the semi-final victory against Al Shabab.

Al Ittihad captain Karim Benzema collects the King's Cup trophy from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

The twin winner’s medals help justify Fabinho’s decision to leave Liverpool in 2023 after a trophy-laden five years with the English and European giants - and to continue his career in Saudi specifically.

"Last season was a very good experience on an individual level as well," he says, also emphasising how he and his young family are enjoying life in Jeddah. "I managed to play almost all the games and to be important at Al Ittihad, which is something I also wanted. That's why I came here.

"So it was a very good year, a winning year for us. The team did very well. As I've already mentioned about last season, I finished very well [by] winning the title, which was very important. That's the main objective.

"And I started this season wanting to at least maintain the same level and continue growing and growing."

Certainly, there’s enough opportunity for that continued development, even as the 2025-26 campaign enters what’s sure to be a thrilling home leg.

Be it ensuring Al Ittihad land fifth spot and a return to Asia’s lead club competition, or booking a seat on that Brazil plane to the FIFA World Cup, Fabinho is focused firmly on not letting either slip through his grasp.