Manchester City's Club World Cup Dreams Crushed by Al Hilal’s Late Heroics
If anyone expected an easy night for Manchester City in Orlando, they clearly underestimated Al Hilal’s resolve. The Saudi club pulled off a jaw-dropping upset, sending the European giants packing from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 with a 4-3 win after extra time—that’s the kind of shock that gets replayed for years.
City started exactly how they’d want: calm, composed, and clinical. Bernardo Silva slotted home inside ten minutes, drifting past defenders in the box while everyone else was still settling into their seats. But as anyone who’s followed football knows, momentum can flip in a heartbeat. After the half, Al Hilal pounced. Marcos Leonardo, a name that’ll stick in every City fan’s mind, squeezed in the equalizer early, and Malcom struck again just five minutes into the restart. Suddenly, City found themselves rattled, trailing a team that nobody had tipped for glory before kickoff.
But City have Erling Haaland. As so often happens, he showed up at just the right moment, smashing home in the 55th after chaos followed a Bernardo corner. It was messy, scrappy, but it kept City breathing. There was no pause—attacks on both ends, last-ditch tackles, and, right as the pressure boiled over, a penalty shout against Malcom. The referee’s quick decision had City fans howling, but VAR judged Malcom offside and the drama rolled on.
Extra time felt like a duel between two teams that simply refused to give in. Kalidou Koulibaly leapt above everyone, meeting a precise corner from Rúben Neves and nudging Al Hilal ahead again. Pep Guardiola, visibly agitated, threw on fresh legs: Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush, both hungry to prove a point. Cherki’s energy made the difference as he linked brilliantly for Phil Foden to tuck away his milestone 100th goal for City—a moment almost lost in the roar of the crowd and the intensity of the occasion.
But the night belonged to Leonardo. In the 113th minute, he seized on an error inside City’s box and drilled the ball past Ederson to complete his brace. The scenes from the Al Hilal bench were wild. Nobody expected them to take down a City team bulging with stars like Haaland and Foden. Even then, Haaland nearly pulled City back again—his close-range miss in the dying stages was the kind of chance he usually gobbles up.
Pep Guardiola’s gamble with his substitutions, including pushing more bodies forward, left City exposed at the back. Al Hilal, expertly marshaled by Simone Inzaghi, exploited the space and showed a hunger that made the difference. Neves’ set pieces and Koulibaly’s leadership helped steady the ship in tense moments, and Leonardo’s sharp eye for goal finished the job.
Where Does This Leave City and Al Hilal?
For Manchester City, bowing out at the Round of 16 is a reality check. Their defense crumbled at the worst times, and no amount of attacking flair could cover for split-second lapses. Players will now regroup and look ahead to pre-season, trying to shake off what feels like a missed opportunity on a massive stage.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, are soaking up the joy. Knocking out the favourites gives them a burst of confidence as they head into a quarter-final clash with Fluminense. Their underdog status won’t last long—not after a performance this bold. Sometimes, football really doesn’t care about reputations or payroll. Just ask the fans in blue and white dancing into the Florida night.
Few saw it coming, but Manchester City have been felled in a match that underlines why the Club World Cup remains so unpredictable—and why nobody can ever afford to look past a determined outsider.