Marcos Leonardo: Al Hilal's brilliant Brazilian delivering on Jesus' judgment | OneFootball

History beckons for Marcos Leonardo if the 21-year-old can continue his remarkable goal-scoring form.

The opportunity to etch his name in the annals of the Roshn Saudi League has been made possible by a flying start to 2025.

Whatever the former Santos starlet did during the winter break, it has worked wonders: since the RSL resumed one month ago, Leonardo has scored nine goals in five games to catapult himself right into contention for the 2024-25 golden boot.

With 12 goals for the season, the Al Hilal forward has drawn level in the scoring charts with teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic. Sitting joint third after 18 rounds, he is hot on the heels of both Karim Benzema (13) and Cristiano Ronaldo (15). Maintain his prolific rate - albeit, granted, a tall order - and it will soon be two of the RSL’s genuine superstars that will be chasing him.

Should Leonardo’s astonishing run of form continue all the way to clinching the coveted individual award at season’s end, when what will be mere days after his 22nd birthday, he would become the youngest player in the SPL era to capture the honour.

Omar Al Somah, the RSL’s all-time leading scorer now back at Al Orobah, currently holds that record: the Syrian was 26 in the 2014-15 campaign, when he secured the first of three golden boots with Al Ahli.

For Al Hilal, Leonardo’s hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time; with star striker Mitrovic sidelined since the league's resumption, it has forced manager Jorge Jesus into a reshuffle of his all-conquering attack. While Mitrovic's absence could have dealt a cruel blow to the champions’ title defence, Leonardo has more than stepped in to fill the void.

Leonardo’s form in front of goal, though, is something even the potent Serbian would be proud of. The streak began with a brace against Al Orobah upon the RSL restart in Matchweek 14, before Leonardo registered his first league hat-trick in the 9-0 demolition of Al Fateh in the following round.

In fact, not only was it the Brazilian’s first hat-trick in the RSL, it marked the first of his career full stop. The cherry on top? His third goal also doubled as Al Hilal’s 1000th in RSL history. So, however the race for the golden boot goes, Leonardo ensured his name will forever be part of Al Hilal’s history.

Not done there, there were single goals in Matchweeks 16 and 17, against Al Wehda and Al Qadsiah respectively, leaving Leonardo to round off an extraordinary month last time out, with another double, against Al Okhdood.

The incredible haul saw the Brazilian named RSL Player of the Month for January. With those nine goals across that period, it’s hard to see how February could get any better. And yet Leonardo shows no signs of slowing down.

Evidently, Al Hilal made the right move in acquiring him from Benfica last summer. After their record-breaking 2023-24 season, there was little need for mass change, signalled by the fact Leonardo represented the Riyadh club's only major signing in a quieter-than-normal transfer window for them.

Prising Leonardo from Benfica wasn’t easy – as has since been proven, why would they give up such a talent? – but Jesus was determined and made the winger his No.1 target to bolster an already-formidable attack.

“Marcos Leonardo's characteristics fit within the profile of the Al Hilal team,” Jesus said in an interview with Portuguese media last year. “Not only because of his age, but also because of his technical qualities.

“I spoke to the people in charge at Al Hilal and I thought he was the player who had the ideal profile and characteristics to add to the quality of the team. I pushed hard for him to come, because there weren't many players with his characteristics at his age.

“He was available, [and] he was very receptive to the idea when I spoke to him. It is clear proof that young people today come to Saudi Arabia, not only for the financial appeal, but because they see where some of the best players in the world are.”

Some of those players are now his teammates at a star-studded Al Hilal side that currently sit top of the table, on goal difference ahead of Al Ittihad.

To be fair, given his recent rude health, Leonardo can rightfully be himself considered one of the best in the league at present. Yet, despite Jesus’ initial confidence in the new recruit’s ability, even he must be quietly surprised.

Before Mitrovic’s untimely injury, Leonardo was used more as an attacking midfielder, sitting behind Mitrovic in Jesus’ preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. He was flanked on either side by the likes of Salem Al Dawsari, the team captain, and Malcom, another Brazilian who shone in his debut season in Saudi.

While Leonardo played the role well, he was less effective in terms of pure numbers. In his 10 RSL appearances before the winter pause, he scored three goals. In Mitrovic’s absence, however, he has been deployed as the focal point in attack, pushed further forward as the nominal lone striker.

It is a role not unfamiliar to him having played that often with both Santos and Benfica. Although much more diminutive in stature to Mitrovic, Leonardo at the team’s tip has not stunted their output. Al Hilal attack in waves, meaning he is rarely isolated, with the movement and variety adding a new dimension Jesus’ side.

Not only has Leonardo been scoring goals for fun, so too have Al Hilal, with the same five-game run to start 2025 offering up 23 goals at an average of 4.6 per game. In the previous 13 matches, they scored 34 goals at an average of 2.6, so there has been a noticeable improvement in their attacking prowess.

A penny, then, for the thoughts of Jesus as he contemplates the return of Mitrovic in the coming weeks. Although, with Leonardo excelling and perhaps exceeding expectation, it constitutes a welcome issue to resolve.