Al-Hilal's Historic Night Ends City's Club World Cup Dream
No one saw this coming: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal are through to the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals after dumping out Manchester City in a crazy 4-3 thriller in Orlando. It’s not just a shocking defeat for the English giants, but a seismic result that proves the gap between European royalty and ambitious outsiders is narrowing fast.
This quarter-final had everything—an electric start, frantic twists, and goals that kept fans glued to their seats. Bernardo Silva drew first blood early, jabbing in a loose ball in the 9th minute, but not without controversy. Al-Hilal fumed about a possible handball, but the referee waved away their protests and the goal stood. City looked comfortable, holding firm control and moving the ball with their signature slickness. But the scoreline didn't really reflect their dominance—they barely scraped a lead despite racking up solid chances and a healthy xG.
The script flipped as soon as the second half began. It took Al-Hilal less than a minute to level up. A corner triggered chaos in the City box and Marcos Leonardo, the Brazilian forward, pounced to head home. The underdogs grew in belief, feeding off the tense energy in the air. Malcom made it 2-1 just six minutes later, smashing in from the edge of the box. Suddenly the favorites were looking over their shoulders.
City, though, always have an answer. Erling Haaland equalized before the hour with a sharp, powerful finish. His consistency in front of goal was about the only predictable thing on this wild Orlando night. Still, Pep Guardiola’s men couldn’t shake Al-Hilal. The clock ticked down with City piling on pressure, Yassine Bounou in the Al-Hilal goal standing tall to repel everything that came his way.
Extra-Time Heroics and the End of City's Run
Regular time ended locked at 2-2, but nobody was ready for what extra time would bring. Kalidou Koulibaly—usually a defensive rock—turned scorer, towering over everyone on a corner and nodding Al-Hilal ahead once more in the 104th minute. It looked like this twist might end the story, but City came storming back. Phil Foden, on his 100th City goal, coolly slotted in an equalizer in the 110th minute, pumping hope back into City fans who feared the worst.
The last word, though, belonged to Marcos Leonardo. His movement had troubled City’s defense all night, and in the 113th minute, he found himself in the right place at the right time to finish a slick move. The Saudi squad poured together in celebration, knowing what they’d just achieved. City pushed, desperately searching for another escape, but Bounou and his battered defense refused to give way.
Tactically, Al-Hilal mixed up grit and flair. They never shied away from set-pieces or counter-attacks and leaned heavily on Bounou’s big saves. City, for all their possession (nearly two-thirds of the match), ended up with just one goal from open play in the first 90 minutes. Their exit from the tournament this early is uncharted territory for Guardiola’s side, who’ve rarely met their match outside Europe, let alone being outlasted by an Asian club.
Now, it’s Al-Hilal who are rewriting the narrative. This is the furthest a team from outside Europe or South America has travelled into the knockouts in nearly two decades. A semi-final date with Brazil’s Fluminense beckons, and on this evidence, nobody will sleep on Al-Hilal again.