Mathieu Patouillet, a young goaltender trained at Olympique Lyonnais, is about to join Al-Hilal’s Saudi club. According to information reported by the Team, the transfer is expected to amount to €350,000, with a profit-sharing clause. This decision comes in a context of increased competition for the 21-year-old player, who has no agreement with OL but should finalize his arrival during the weekend, with a planned start towards Riyadh. Olympique Lyonnais has accepted the financial offer, including a 20% percentage on resale, and the case is closely monitored.

This situation follows a search by the Saudi team of Al-Hilal for a goaltender to replace the Moroccan international Yasine Bounou, who will participate in the next African Cup of Nations in December. Mathieu Patouillet, despite his young age, was privileged to meet this need, leaving OL facing a potential loss of a promising player. This divestment is part of a strategy to renew the workforce for Olympique Lyonnais, which seeks to balance its finances while ensuring the sustainability of its team.

Along with this information, several qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup took place this Thursday. Slovenia surprised Germany by imposing itself on the score of 2-0, taking the lead in its group. Northern Ireland defeated Luxembourg (3-1), while Spain dominated Bulgaria (3-0). Turkey won a thrilling game against Georgia (3-2), rising to first place in its group. The Netherlands and Poland were neutralized (1-1), and Belgium largely dominated Liechtenstein (5-0). These results mark an important milestone in the World Cup elimination phase, with surprises and expected performances.