Al Hilal Shocks Manchester City in Club World Cup Thriller
It’s not often you see a heavy favorite like Manchester City packing their bags early, but that’s exactly what happened in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16, where Saudi giants Al Hilal scripted a football story that will be told for years. With the odds stacked against them, including the painful absence of their captain Salem Al-Dawsari, Al Hilal still found a way to topple the Premier League champions 4-3 after an unforgettable stretch of extra time.
Manchester City looked ready for business with a starting lineup brimming with talent — Ederson took his usual spot between the posts; a defensive line of Rúben Nunes, Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Rayan Aït-Nouri provided strength at the back. Matheus Gonzalez and İlkay Gündoğan were in charge of connecting defense to attack, letting the creative sparks fly up front with Savinho, Phil Foden, and Jérémy Doku behind Erling Haaland. And with Pep Guardiola’s quickdraw substitutions, names like Manuel Akanji, Nathan Aké, Rodri, and Rayan Cherki joined the action, hoping to tilt things City’s way.
But Al Hilal wasn’t there to make up the numbers. Despite losing their influential skipper, the squad had plans of their own. Simone Inzaghi made it clear before kickoff that his team refused to be mere spectators. Relying on Marcos Leonardo and Malcom up top, with Kalidou Koulibaly holding things together in defense, Al Hilal entered this match riding the high of topping Group H — and having conceded just a single goal in their last three matches.
Wild Swings, Late Drama, and a Historic Upset
The match had everything: pivotal goals, late equalizers, bold substitutions, and the kind of tension that kept fans on the edge throughout. City’s firepower came alive when Erling Haaland slammed in the equalizer in the 55th minute, canceling out Al Hilal’s early energy. As the game wore on and legs began to tire, the pendulum kept swinging.
When Foden scored in the 104th minute, most City fans thought the job was finally done. But Koulibaly — usually known for his defensive grit — surged forward and, out of nowhere, put Al Hilal ahead in the 94th. Just when penalties seemed inevitable, Marcos Leonardo found space in a crowded box in the 112th minute and buried the winner, sending a sea of blue shirts into wild celebration. The underdogs had done it. They ousted Manchester City, one of Europe’s most star-studded teams, and now look ahead to a semifinal battle against Brazilian side Fluminense.
For Al Hilal, this wasn’t just a win on the scoresheet — it was proof they belong on the world’s biggest stage. And for Manchester City, it means shockwaves back home, with tough questions about what went wrong and how a team considered unbeatable stumbled so early. One thing's for sure: the FIFA Club World Cup just got a lot more interesting.