Club World Cup Shocker
Al Hilal, a Saudi Arabian club, has pulled off a stunning upset in the Club World Cup, defeating English Premier League powerhouse Manchester City 4-3 in the Round of 16. The match, played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, was a back-and-forth thriller that saw Al Hilal take the lead three times, including twice in extra time.
The Match
Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal of the game in the 112th minute, finally putting Manchester City away. The goal came after goalkeeper Ederson saved a header by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and the ball deflected to Leonardo, who redirected it with his right foot as he fell to the pitch near the left post. Kalidou Koulibaly had put Al Hilal ahead 3-2 in the 94th minute, but Phil Foden equalized in the 104th minute.
Earlier in the Match
The match had gotten off to a quick start, with Bernardo Silvan opening the scoring for Manchester City in the ninth minute. Malcom put Al Hilal ahead in the 52nd minute, and Erling Haaland found the net in the 55th minute to make it 2-2. Leonardo also scored in the 46th minute to even the match at 1-1. Manchester City nearly won it in regulation in the final seconds of added time on a counterattack that was thwarted by a hard challenge. Referees did not call a penalty, and Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola ran onto the field to argue the decision after the whistle.
Another Upset
In another match, Fluminense, a Brazilian club, upset Inter Milan, a Champions League finalist, 2-0 in front of a sparse crowd of 20,030 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Germán Cano scored on a header three minutes into the match, and Fluminense held on to advance to the quarterfinals. The Brazilians appeared to add to their lead late in the first half, but Ignacio’s header into the net was waived off due to being offside. Inter Milan controlled the time of possession throughout the match, owning the ball 68% of the time, but couldn’t will the ball into the net. Fluminense’s Hercules eventually added a goal on a wide-open shot in stoppage time for the final 2-0 margin.
After the Match
After the game, a frustrated Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez told reporters that "whoever doesn’t want to be here should leave." The match got heated at one point after a Fluminense player on the bench appeared to grab one of the balls on the sideline to prevent an Inter Milan advantage after a ball was kicked out of bounds. The Brazilian team received a yellow card, but not until after players exchanged shoves. Fluminense had changed its defensive strategy before the match to use three defensive backs to defend against Milan.
Reaction from Coaches
Fluminense coach Renato Gaúcho said, "I thought a lot about what scheme we would use. We should have three backs so we could mirror their own group. They were compliant with my instructions. We have been humble and we knew how to respect the opponent when they had the ball. I told them ‘I trust you.’ I told them yesterday and I told them again today and I told them, ‘I believe it.’ The players adapted very well." Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu hoped his team would process the result as a group, saying, "We need to look one another in the eye and accept the fact that we need to be self-critical and never point the finger at one another."
Conclusion
The Club World Cup has seen its first major upset, with Al Hilal defeating Manchester City 4-3 in the Round of 16. Fluminense also pulled off an upset, defeating Inter Milan 2-0. Both matches were thrilling, with plenty of action and controversy. The winners will move on to the quarterfinals, where they will face new challenges and opportunities.
FAQs
- Who won the match between Al Hilal and Manchester City? Al Hilal won 4-3 in the Round of 16.
- Who scored the winning goal for Al Hilal? Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal of the game in the 112th minute.
- Who won the match between Fluminense and Inter Milan? Fluminense won 2-0.
- Who scored the first goal for Fluminense? Germán Cano scored on a header three minutes into the match.
- What is next for the winners? The winners will move on to the quarterfinals, where they will face new challenges and opportunities.
Originally Published: June 30, 2025 at 9:29 PM PDT
