Saudi Arabian champions Al-Hilal pulled off the biggest surprise of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, knocking out tournament favourites Manchester City in a dramatic 4-3 win after extra time on Tuesday morning.
City took an early lead through Bernardo Silva in the 9th minute, but Al-Hilal responded strongly with goals from Marcos Leonardo and Malcom to go ahead 2-1. Erling Haaland brought City level in the 55th minute, forcing extra time.
Al-Hilal took the lead again through Kalidou Koulibaly’s header from a Ruben Neves corner, before Phil Foden equalised for City. However, Leonardo sealed it for the Saudi side in the 112th minute with his second goal of the game.
The result sees Al-Hilal progress to the quarter-finals, where they will face Brazilian side Fluminense, who also shocked many by defeating Inter Milan 2-0 on Monday night. German Cano and Hercules scored the goals that sent the Italian giants packing.
With the results, six teams have now confirmed their place in the final eight of the competition.
The Club World Cup quarter-final pairings now include:
– Al-Hilal vs Fluminense
= Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain
= Chelsea vs Palmeiras
The competition continues this week with fans eagerly awaiting more thrilling match-ups.
