Saudi’s Al Hilal Eliminate Man City In 4–3 Club World Cup Thriller

Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal stunned Manchester City with a 4-3 extra-time victory on Monday, eliminating the English side from the Club World Cup in what is being called the tournament’s biggest upset so far.

The match ended 2-2 after 90 minutes, but Marcos Leonardo struck the decisive goal in extra time to secure a historic win for the Middle Eastern side.

Al Hilal now advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face Brazil’s Fluminense, guaranteeing a non-European team a place in the semi-finals.

City had initially taken the lead in the ninth minute through Bernardo Silva, who converted Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross in a contentious opener.

Al Hilal players protested that Rayan Ait-Nouri had used his arm in the build-up to the opening goal, but the referee allowed it to stand.

Manchester City dominated much of the first half and had numerous chances to extend their lead, but wasteful finishing and a standout performance from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept the score at 1-0.

Despite City’s pressure, Al Hilal remained dangerous on the counter. Jeremy Doku squandered a clear opportunity by volleying straight at Bounou, who moments later made another sharp save to deny Bernardo Silva.

The question of whether City would regret their missed chances was swiftly answered just one minute into the second half.

A low cross from former City defender Joao Cancelo was only partially cleared by Ederson. Malcolm’s initial attempt was blocked by Ruben Dias, but the rebound looped kindly to Marcos Leonardo, who nodded in the equaliser.

Just six minutes later, City’s high defensive line was punished again. Cancelo launched a long ball over the top, which Malcolm latched onto with speed and strength before calmly finishing past Ederson to make it 2-1.

The Saudi fans erupted in celebration, while Pep Guardiola reacted with urgency, making a triple substitution—bringing on Rodri, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji to steady the defence.

The changes added some much-needed stability at the back, but City also needed to respond in attack—something they eventually managed, albeit in scrappy fashion.

Al Hilal’s defence failed to clear a corner from Bernardo Silva, allowing Erling Haaland to react quickly and slot home the loose ball, bringing the score level at 2-2.

City intensified their assault in search of a winner, but once again Yassine Bounou stood firm—denying efforts from Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias. Even when Haaland finally beat the goalkeeper, substitute Ali Lajami produced a stunning goal-line clearance to keep Al Hilal level.

With the match heading into extra time, Guardiola substituted Haaland for Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush.

Despite City’s bench strength, it was Al Hilal who struck first in extra time. Just four minutes in, Kalidou Koulibaly soared above the defence to meet a Ruben Neves corner, steering a superb angled header into the net to make it 3-2.

Manchester City’s Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland misses an opportunity to score during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 football match between England’s Manchester City and Saudi’s Al-Hilal at the Camping World stadium in Orlando on June 30, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

City hit back with a moment of brilliance—Rayan Cherki floated a delicate ball to the far post, where Phil Foden, at full stretch and from an improbable angle, poked it in to level the score again.

But Al Hilal’s resilience showed once more. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header was initially saved by Ederson, but Marcos Leonardo was quickest to react, forcing the rebound over the line to seal an incredible 4-3 victory.

As Al Hilal fans poured out of the stadium in jubilation, Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo was overcome with emotion, visibly moved by the magnitude of the moment and his decisive role in the historic victory.

“I’ve had a difficult time in the last two months. My mother spent 70 days in the ICU,” he said.

City skipper Bernardo Silva said his team had paid the price for being unable to deal with Al Hilal’s counter-attacking.

“We scored three and could’ve scored five, six. It was all about controlling when we lost the ball, controlling the transitions, don’t let them run, and they ran way too many times,” he said.

“With one, two passes there was always a feeling of danger coming from them. When we allow teams to run like this we always suffer a lot, and today was the case,” he said.