Saudi's Al Hilal eliminate Manchester City from Club World Cup
The game finished 2-2 at full-time but at the end of an eventful extra-time Marcos Leonardo grabbed the winner and secured one of the biggest wins in Middle Eastern football history.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Esports World Cup 2025: $70m prize pool, K-pop star Dino's anthem, and Post Malone's appearance
Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh is preparing to host the world's biggest gaming tournament, the Esports World Cup, for the second time in a row. With more games and higher prize money, the event is set to reinforce Saudi Arabia's growing role as an important player in international esports. Running across seven weeks this summer, the event will not only showcase elite-level competitive gaming, but also deliver a festival-style experience for fans, content creators and industry professionals. Here is everything you need to know about the contest and its key players. Dates and venue The Esports World Cup 2025 will take place from July 7 to August 24 in Boulevard City, Riyadh. The tournament will be held at the brand-new SEF Arena, a purpose-built venue spanning 34,000 square metres. The complex has five halls, including a main arena with a capacity of 2,200 spectators. There are also dedicated areas for professional team training, along with multiple fan-focused spaces, cafes and content creator zones. The size and scope of the venue marks a significant leap forward from last year and reflects Saudi Arabia's aim to become a global hub for esports and gaming culture. Post Malone to perform at opening ceremony American musician Post Malone will headline the Esports World Cup's opening ceremony on July 10. The singer behind hits such as Circles, Rockstar, Congratulations and Sunflower, has recently turned to country music, scoring a major hit with Morgan Wallen called I Had Some Help. Malone will return to the region on December 5 to perform as part of the F1 after-race concert series in Abu Dhabi. Organisers have also announced several other artists who will perform during the tournament. These include Quavo, Metro Boomin, Don Diablo, Central Cee, R3hab and Black Eyed Peas. They'll be supported by regional musicians including Nileboi, Shaolin and Bayou. Dino from Seventeen's o fficial song Grammy-nominated producer and electronic music artist Alesso has worked with Dino from the K-pop band Seventeen; American rapper and singer Duckwrth; and Telle Smith of metal band The Word Alive to produce the tournament's official song. Titled Til My Fingers Bleed, the song is set to be performed live for the first time during the opening ceremony on July 10. It was written and produced by Alex Karlsson and known for their work with BTS, G.E.M. and ATEEZ, along with Jared Lee (Duckwrth), who wrote the track's rap verse. Record-breaking prize pool The 2025 tournament features a $70 million prize pool, the largest in esports history. It surpasses last year's total of $62.5 million, showing the growth and ambition of the competition. The prize money is divided across multiple streams: $27 million is reserved for the Club Championship, with the top club receiving $7 million. A further $38 million will be distributed across 25 different game tournaments, while $450,000 is set aside for MVP awards, recognising individual performances. About $5 million will go towards qualifier tournaments leading up to the main event. Global ambassador Cristiano Ronaldo The tournament has appointed Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo as the official global ambassador for 2025. The EWC Foundation has also announced several major partnerships, including a long-term agreement with Riot Games, covering League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics and Valorant until at least 2027. Meanwhile, has been named as the official platform for the chess component of the tournament. Saudi Arabia will also host the first-ever Olympic Esports Games, an initiative supported by the International Olympic Committee. Expanded game line-up The 2025 Esports World Cup will feature 25 tournaments across 24 titles, offering a mix of strategy, shooter, sports, fighting and mobile games. Additions this year include: Chess, in a 10-minute blitz format, with grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura expected to appear; Valorant and Crossfire, both added after the signing of a multiyear deal with Riot Games; and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, marking a return for SNK's classic fighting franchise. Returning favourites include: Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6, EA Sports FC 25, Street Fighter 6, PUBG Mobile, Battlegrounds Mobile India, Apex Legends, StarCraft II, Rocket League, Tekken 8, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. The selection covers both competitive popularity and global appeal, making it an international event for players and spectators alike. Club Championship At the heart of the event is the Club Championship, a format designed to encourage cross-game performance and consistent success. About 200 clubs and 2,000 players from more than 100 countries are expected to take part. To win the Club Championship, a team must win at least one tournament and finish in the top eight in at least two additional events. This system rewards both dominance and versatility, encouraging clubs to build squads across multiple games. Last year, Team Falcons, based in Saudi Arabia, won the Club Championship, with Team Liquid from the Netherlands and Team BDS from Switzerland finishing second and third respectively. With a more substantial pool of teams this year, the race for the Club Championship title is expected to garner international attention from esports fans. Fan experience and industry summit The Esports World Cup will also host a number of events for visitors and fans to enjoy alongside sitting in on the action. Visitors can look forward to cosplay contests, fan meetups, livestreams, creator booths, gaming challenges, community events, live performances and merchandise zones. Towards the end of the tournament, the New Global Sport Conference will be held on August 23 and 24, inviting industry leaders from across gaming, technology, media and sport to participate in networking opportunities. The chief executives of Sony, Activision, Sega, Bandai Namco, Disney and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics have confirmed they will be attending the conference. Organisers have also revealed that the conference's theme this year is 'The Next Game – Building the Future of Gaming, Esports, and Sports". Ticket prices Tickets are on sale with options including daily passes, multi-week access and VIP hospitality packages. Prices start at 999 Saudi riyals ($266) for weekly passes. Organisers said prices for daily passes will be revealed closer to the start of the event.
Al Etihad
2 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Chelsea sign Brazil striker Joao Pedro from Brighton
2 July 2025 18:15 LONDON (AFP) Chelsea signed Brazil striker Joao Pedro from Brighton in a deal worth a reported £60 million ($79 million) on jetted to the United States, where Chelsea are playing in the Club World Cup, on Sunday after the terms of his eight-year contract were the transfer now confirmed following a medical, Pedro is available to play for Enzo Maresca's side in their Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras in has given clubs involved in the Club World Cup knockout phase until July 3 to register new players for the tournament."Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history," Pedro said. "They had brilliant players in the past and have brilliant players now, so I am excited to join and you know when you are a Chelsea player you must think one thing - win."Pedro, who joined Brighton for £30 million from Watford two years ago, scored 30 goals in 70 appearances for the Seagulls and has been capped three times by 23-year-old missed Brighton's final two matches of the season after being dropped due to a training ground altercation with team-mate Jan Paul van is the fourth player Chelsea have signed from Brighton in recent years after Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez. Chelsea, who qualified for next season's Champions League, have already splashed out on striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr since the end of last term. Brazilian rising star Estevao Willian, 18, will join the Blues after his Club World Cup campaign with Palmeiras. Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens could also be a Chelsea player soon after a deal worth up to a reported 65 million euros ($76 million) was agreed for the 20-year-old on Saturday.
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Real Madrid oust Juventus as Dortmund reach Club World Cup quarters
Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday to set up a Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund, who edged Mexican side Monterrey. Serhou Guirassy struck twice for the German outfit as they scraped past Sergio Ramos's side 2-1 in a tight last-16 clash in Atlanta and denied the former Real Madrid skipper a match-up against his former team. Youngster Gonzalo Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament to help Madrid edge Italian side Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami earlier. It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso's Madrid side, unbeaten under the new coach, and they were further boosted by Kylian Mbappe's return from illness as a substitute. "We had a lot of chances in the second half, but their goalkeeper was really good," said Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois. The first half was a finely-balanced contest with Igor Tudor's Juventus starting brightly before Real ended it on top. Los Blancos kept turning the screw and found their goal when Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed for Gonzalo to head home after 54 minutes. Alonso decided to introduce Mbappe to the delight of the 62,149 crowd but the striker did not find any clear openings as Juve pushed for an equaliser. Madrid's coach was pleased with his team's performance, including that of Gonzalo — who he had compared to former Real great Raul — but also suggested that Mbappe might be ready for a bigger contribution in the next game. "We will keep watching him... I think he will be much better for the quarters," Alonso said. Alonso added that he was satisfied to see Real produce the necessary grit to grind out the result in the second half. "We had to be patient, we had to mature into the game," said the coach. "With the players and myself, you know you have to grit your teeth and do what you have to do. And in the end, we had to hold on a bit, and I'm happy about that too." Juve boss Tudor said his team became exhausted as the game developed. "In the end there were 10 of them asking to be substituted. Obviously you can't do that but there was an incredible tiredness," he said, offering his reasons. "There is the tension of the game which burns energy but then there is the heat and humidity," explained Tudor, also noting they were at the end of a long season. Dortmund deny Ramos In Atlanta, Guirassy's brace was enough to help Dortmund past Monterrey in a hard-fought clash, setting them up to play a Madrid side who beat them in the 2024 Champions League final. "Real has a great team, they have many good individual players," Dortmund coach Niko Kovac told reporters. "If we put everything on the pitch, (giving) the same performance as we saw today, I think that we will have a good chance." Guirassy netted a first-half double but German Berterame pulled one back for the Mexican side who came close to an equaliser when a late Ramos header span just wide. "I think I could have scored at least three goals but I am happy to have helped the team win," Guirassy told broadcaster DAZN. After grinding through several games in the blazing afternoon sun during the group stage, Dortmund were grateful to be at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium and played at a faster pace in Atlanta. Karim Adeyemi set up both of Guirassy's goals as the Guinea international reached 37 for the season across all competitions. A booking for Jobe Bellingham means he will be suspended for the clash against his brother Jude's Real Madrid side. However Dortmund almost missed out entirely as Monterrey hit back in the second half, but after Berterame headed home to reduce the gap, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made several good saves to keep them at bay. Ramos, sent up front for the final stages, put a header agonisingly wide in stoppage time as he tried to deliver on his penchant for late, decisive moments, like in Madrid's 2014 Champions League final triumph. "The crowd and our fans and the people who understand about football, they saw that the team gave everything," Ramos told DAZN, proud of his side's efforts.
