July 1 – Al Hilal pulled off one of the shocks of the Club World Cup with a pulsating 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in Florida, sending Pep Guardiola’s side crashing out in the quarter-finals.
Bernardo Silva’s early opener gave City the perfect start, but the match exploded into life after the break. Just 45 seconds into the second half, Al Hilal levelled through Marcos Leonardo, who pounced after Ederson failed to claim Joao Cancelo’s cross—a costly spill from the City keeper.
From there, the Saudi champions smelled blood. Brazilian winger Malcom scored a superb solo goal six minutes later, carrying the ball from the halfway line and slotting it neatly into the bottom right corner as Ederson watched on.
Erling Haaland tapped in from close range to level the score before the 60th minute to end a spell of quick-fire goals, with 90 minutes ending at 2-2.
Kalidou Koulibaly powered in a header from a corner to restore Al Hilal’s lead, only for Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to carve through the Saudi defence for City’s third—Foden applying a sharp finish after slick interplay.
But it was City’s goalkeeper who again found himself under the spotlight. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header was parried straight into the path of Leonardo, who simply had to follow the ball in to grab his second and Al Hilal’s fourth.
The win was a seismic moment for new head coach Simone Inzaghi, who was still licking his wounds from Inter Milan’s 5-0 collapse to PSG in the Champions League final just a month ago. With stars like Salem Al Dawsari and Aleksandar Mitrovic missing, few gave his side a chance against one of the tournament favourites. But Inzaghi’s Al Hilal delivered a performance of heart and discipline.
“We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen,” said Inzaghi. “They deserved it. They fought for every ball. This is for the Al Hilal family and for Saudi Arabia.”
City, meanwhile, will have questions to answer—particularly around Ederson, who conceded four goals from six shots on target and was directly involved in two. Portuguese international Joao Cancelo returned to haunt his former club with a key assist.
Al Hilal, runners-up in 2022, are no longer Club World Cup underdogs. The side have proven their worth against the world’s best, helped by heavy investment since the final three years ago.
They could bolster their ranks even further, too, with the club consistently linked to premium talent from Europe such as Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. This team could be a problem in years to come.
Saudi Arabia have spent billions to try and become a force in world football. On Monday night in Orlando, celebrating supporters felt as if a small chunk of that had been repaid.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1751386152labto1751386152ofdlr1751386152owedi1751386152sni@g1751386152niwe.1751386152yrrah1751386152