🔬 The Debrief as the Club World Cup gets its biggest shocks
Here's what went down overnight ...
You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free.
What happened? 📝
A non-European side will definitely be in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup after two seismic shocks in the last eight.
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Inter were probably the better side in their clash with Fluminense but a goal inside the opening three minutes and one right at the death ensured the Rio giants booked their place in the next round.
Then it was on to Orlando where Al Hilal stunned Manchester City with probably the game of the competition so far.
A pulsating 90 minutes ended in a 2-2 draw before Marcos Leonardo netted an extra time winner to see the Saudi club win 4-3.
Player of the Day 🔥
📸 Francois Nel - 2025 Getty Images
Marcos Leonardo has been a veritable goal machine since joining Al Hilal last summer but the Brazil youth international netted his first two of the Club World Cup overnight, showing his goal-hanger tendencies with a pair of close-range finishes.
What this means 🤔
Inter and Manchester City are now heading home with Fluminense and Al Hilal ready to face each other in Orlando on Friday evening.
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As FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Instagram overnight, a "new era of football has started".
What they said 🗣️
📸 PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA - AFP or licensors
'We knew that it would be a difficult game against one of the best teams in the world and we wanted to show our ideas, our talents and our power. We made a very good game; we took our chances so we can be happy. We wanted to show that Al Hilal have the power and the talent to be here and we showed a great mentality.' Kalidou Koulibaly, Al Hilal defender
"We didn't give up. We tried until the end. We tried to make some changes with the formation. It was a day that wasn't for us. That's it. We tried to do our best, like always. Today wasn't a day for us... We didn't expect them to play five in the back. They were well organised with the low block on defence. It was hard for us to find a solution, especially in the first half." Cristian Chivu, Inter head coach
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'It is a pity. We have been on incredible journey together and were in a good place. The vibe was really good. I cannot thank the players enough for training and playing how they have been. But it was a difficult game. The margins were minimal. We created a lot and (Yassine) Bounou made incredible saves but we were so open. We would have loved to have continued, it will only be once every four years, and we had a feeling that the team was doing well. But we go home and now it is time to rest and rest our minds for the new season.' Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach
What's next? 👀
The final last 16 games take place later with Juventus taking on Real Madrid in Miami. Then it's on to Atlanta where Borussia Dortmund face Monterrey of Mexico.
📸 Megan Briggs - 2025 Getty Images
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New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Let's see if they criticise us now' – a landmark Saudi win and what it means for football
Marcos Leonardo ripped the corner flag from its roots and hoisted it straight above his head towards the black Orlando sky. For Al Hilal, for Saudi Arabian football, it was their Olympic torch. The flame that announced their long-sought arrival on the world stage. The moment their new money was dealt in at the top table of another sport, in a new tournament that has their country's fingerprints all over it. Advertisement Their dramatic 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Monday was enough to turn keffiyehs into handkerchiefs. Inches away from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Al Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel buried his head into his hands and sobbed. At full time, just shy of midnight local time, he stood in front of the tunnel and hugged every player and member of staff who helped the 2021 Asian Champions League winners defeat the most successful English football club of the last 15 years to seal a place in the quarter-finals against Brazilian side Fluminense. Few celebrations are as wildly chaotic as this, but it was fitting for a game that had witnessed Al Hilal at one point refusing to restart for over two minutes as they tried to force the referee to visit the VAR monitor. Once the dozens of players and staff had eventually disembarked from the pitch, Al Hilal's fans came sweeping through the concourse like a hurricane, chanting 'ole, ole, ole'. Some waved flags, some rode on shoulders and others rocked a Manchester United jersey with glee. One Saudi journalist was telling anyone who would listen that these 120 minutes were even better than his wedding day. His brother, on the phone from Riyadh to share the moment, said he would break his arm if he was there in person because he would hug him so tightly. It was a scene being repeated dozens of times with people dotted around on the grass outside the Camping World Stadium, shrieking with euphoria down the phone to their family and friends at home, sharing a moment few thought they would experience. This result — in what was the best game of the tournament so far — was well ahead of schedule. It is only two years since Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) took control of four Saudi Pro League clubs, including Al Hilal, and decided to aggressively pursue the best talent in the world. The Europeans who moved to Saudi Arabia have regularly been accused of placing cash before career, but Al Hilal, deprived of their two best players in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Salem Al Dawsari, blitzed past Manchester City on the counter-attack time and again. This was further proof that this is not like China's dabble in football the previous decade. It is not a collection of expensive individuals that has been assembled; it is a cohesive team with a clear aim to upend the European hegemony and establish the Saudi Pro League as a direct competitor. Advertisement 'Let's see now if they will criticise us after this game,' said midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, now 30, who joined two years ago from Lazio. 'We showed them it's not like they think. The league isn't how they speak about it. A lot of the perceptions (about Saudi) are untrue. I am running more there than I did in Serie A.' Is it a one-off game that does not tell us anything of substance, or is it another checkpoint in Saudi football's inevitable rise? If it legitimises the league in the eyes of enough peak-age players, then it will be the latter, but there are two prisms through which to view a triumph that could well come to mark a fundamental shifting of the sands. The simpler one is to appreciate the joy it brought to one of the best-supported teams at the tournament. Some Europeans may presume that there was no football culture in Saudi Arabia before the wave of investment, but it was a passionate football nation beforehand. 'I know Al Nassr have Cristiano Ronaldo, but we're the biggest club in Saudi Arabia — around 40 per cent of Saudis support us,' Al Hilal CEO, Esteve Calzada, told The Athletic before the famous win. 'Our games here have been huge news in Saudi Arabia. Everyone is watching. And thousands of our fans have come to the United States to watch us, as well as Saudis based here. There were about 15,000 fans at our game in Nashville (against Pachuca), and at least two-thirds of them were supporting Hilal. We think thousands of them have flown over to support us.' The Saudi embassy in the U.S. had been offering free tickets in the lead up to the game, and while Al Hilal usually help subsidise flights and accommodation for fans at games such as these, this tournament was an exception. It meant there was no official ultras group but a block of Al Hilal fans — all decked out in royal blue and waving flags the entire game — that somehow conquered an entire section. Other fans dotted around the lower tier walked around to join them in an attempt to make it more raucous, and a City fan even turned his jersey inside out and began singing along to new chants. Advertisement The more complicated puzzle to solve is what this could mean for the geopolitics and power dynamics of the game. FIFA president Infantino was quick to declare the result as the harbinger of an intercontinental battle. 'A new era of football has definitely started', he said on Instagram. His personal investment in this tournament succeeding is obvious, but the triangle of power that has driven the creation of this newly expanded tournament — FIFA, broadcaster DAZN and the Saudi state's public wealth fund PIF, whose acronym was plastered around the advertising boards all game — adds multiple layers. One of the features of Infantino's presidency has been courting U.S. and Saudi investment as he seeks to globalise the game and raise the sport's annual revenue to half a trillion dollars. These are the two nations where he sees the most investment opportunities and, as such, the U.S. played host while Saudi Arabia provided the financial means necessary to entice the European clubs into signing up to the new tournament. PIF invested a reported $1billion (£730m) in DAZN, which made the entire competition free-to-air, and in turn, FIFA offered a total prize pot of $1bn. This tournament provided Al Hilal with the global platform they have been waiting for. Two years ago, when the recruitment drive started and backroom staff were being poached from top clubs around Europe, the Club World Cup was one of the main topics of conversation. In April, FIFA visited Riyadh as part of the Club World Cup trophy tour. To the surprise of some present, Al Hilal were thinking about winning it. This breakthrough moment has been years in the making. In 2016, the state outlined its Saudi Vision 2030 — a project that aims to diversify the economy and cement its reputation as a tourist hub and the home of elite sport — and there is the 2034 Road to the World Cup they are building up to. They have since been awarded a permanent Formula One race track, become the de facto home of major boxing fights, established LIV Golf to rival the PGA Tour and, in tennis, created the Six Kings Slam while hosting the WTA finals too. These events tend to fall within Riyadh Season, a banner created in 2019 to help drive tourism, but football was a richer and more saturated market. They had to make a big splash, and that came in January 2023 when five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr. Six months later, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sport announced that PIF had taken control of four Saudi Pro League clubs — Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal and Al Nassr. Over $1bn in transfer fees were paid, with big names such as Karim Benzema, Neymar and N'Golo Kante being lured by the riches on offer. Advertisement In the same year, they hosted the 2023 Club World Cup (Manchester City beat Fluminense 4-0 in the final), and have also hosted both the Italian and Spanish Super Cups. The biggest prize of all, however, came when they were awarded the 2034 World Cup after the FIFA Council decided to adopt a 'principle of confederation rotation' to ensure that all six confederations had a fair share. Qatar 2022 would have ruled out Saudi Arabia until 2042 but, as the 2030 edition is spread across three confederations, the Gulf state was able to present their bid unopposed. PIF own 75 per cent of the four Pro League clubs, with a 25 per cent stake belonging to Al Hilal Non Profit Foundation, which is owned by one of Saudi's richest men in Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Other clubs are due to be brought into private ownership as they seek to strengthen the depth of the league. Saudi Arabia's quest for global power is inextricably linked to its investment in sport. It has been viewed as 'sportswashing' by groups such as Amnesty International, a way of using the association with glamorous, popular events as a deflection from negative actions and human rights abuses. In 2019, then-future (and now former) U.S. president Joe Biden said Saudi Arabia would be treated as a 'pariah' after Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by agents of the Saudi government at the consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity remains illegal, due to the country's interpretation of Sharia law, and can result in a prison sentence or even capital punishment. Despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's 2022 assertion that the death penalty had been eliminated except for murder cases as part of an attempt to modernise the country by 2030, Saudi Arabia executed 330 people in 2024 — the most in decades. Advertisement In its evaluation report, FIFA only graded the country's human rights as a medium risk. Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's head of labour rights and sport, called that report an 'astonishing whitewash of the country's atrocious human rights record.' After the victory over City, The Athletic asked Al Hilal supporters if they accept the view of many critics that the country's massive spending on football is an attempt to improve the public image of their country. 'It's just an investment,' says Abdulaziz, who has travelled from Riyadh to follow the team for the duration of their stay. 'We can sell it the next day, so it's not washing. Any country has the right to invest abroad. It is considered soft power for the country, and all countries have done it before, but when Saudi do it some people have double standards. 'When people in the UK saw Newcastle win after so many years, they realised it is good for the region. Finally the Middle East is on the map for good news instead of bad news. People are enjoying watching us.'
30 minutes ago
Saudi Arabia's great soccer experiment is paying off spectacularly at the Club World Cup
MANCHESTER, England -- The great Saudi Arabian soccer experiment is on full show at the Club World Cup. The oil-rich kingdom, which is spending billions of dollars to become a major player in the world's most popular sport, scored a big win on the field Monday when Al Hilal beat Premier League giant Manchester City 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. It was a seismic result in soccer terms; possibly the biggest upset of the tournament and precisely the type of statement Saudi Arabia has wanted to make since embarking on a project that will ultimately see it stage the World Cup in 2034. 'We wanted to show that Al Hilal has the talent, the power to be here,' said defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who was among a slew of star players paid fortunes to leave Europe's top clubs for the Saudi Pro League in recent years. The biggest of them all was Cristiano Ronaldo, who completed one of the most stunning moves in soccer history when joining Al Nassr for a reported salary of up to $200 million a year in 2022. That deal prompted a spectacular recruitment drive by Saudi teams — backed by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund — and in came superstars like Neymar and Karim Benzema, while audacious attempts were made to sign Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Confirmation that Saudi Arabia had won the right to host the World Cup came in December. On the field, the Club World Cup was the first chance for the country to make a global statement about the growth of its domestic game, which is largely unheralded outside of Asia. It is likely why Al Hilal — Saudi Arabia's most successful team — was so eager to make another marquee signing before the tournament began and tried, but failed, to lure Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. It pulled off a coup by hiring coach Simone Inzaghi. The Italian arrived after leading Inter Milan to a second Champions League final in three seasons and he is already making a mark with his new team after drawing 1-1 against Real Madrid in the group stage and then beating City. 'We had to do something extraordinary because we knew how good Manchester City are, we knew we had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and we were great," Inzaghi said. The broader picture is what Al Hilal's run says about the standard of soccer in Saudi Arabia, which has been dismissed by some as a cash grab for players, who can earn far more than if they'd remained in Europe. 'Let's see now if they will criticize us after these games," said midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Al Hilal from Italian team Lazio. 'It's not like how they are speaking about the league.' Despite recruiting so many players from Europe's top clubs — including Champions League winners N'Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino — it is difficult to judge the quality of the Saudi League. To put Al Hilal's run into context: while it may have won a record 19 league titles and four Asian championships, it is not the Saudi Arabia's reigning national champion, having been beaten to the title by Benzema's Al-Ittihad last season. Another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, which counts former Liverpool forward Firmino and ex Manchester City winger Mahrez among its players, won the Asian Champions League this year. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is yet to win the title in three attempts with Al Nassr — pointing to the depth of strength in the league. Al Hilal's performances have also come despite releasing Brazil great Neymar in January and with leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic having played no part so far because of injury. The question now is how far Al Hilal can go. Next up is Brazil's Fluminense in the quarterfinals in Orlando on Friday. City's exit — along with Inter Milan's defeat to Fluminense — has opened up that side of the draw, which also features Palmeiras and Chelsea. On paper it looks like the favorable side of the draw, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain on the other side. But the success of Brazilian teams has been another theme of the tournament and Al Hilal will have to beat at least one more if it is to advance to the final. Inzaghi, however, is used to overachieving. His two Champions League finals with Inter Milan came despite having an aging team and relying on savvy deals in the transfer market to pick up free agents and veteran players. Inter's victory against Barcelona in the semifinals of this year's competition was one of the all-time classic contests — winning 7-6 on aggregate. Al Hilal's impressive run has come after Inzaghi spent just one week training with the team before the tournament. Even if it is eliminated in the next round, a quarterfinals appearance would represent an outstanding campaign for a team that was not expected to compete for the title. Saudi Arabia's growing influence on sport — which also includes LIV Golf, world championship boxing, F1 and the buyout of Premier League team Newcastle — will continue to raise accusations it is 'sportswashing' its reputation. Amnesty international called it 'reckless' to grant it the World Cup over concerns about the country's human rights record.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Saudi Arabia's great soccer experiment is paying off spectacularly at the Club World Cup
Associated Press MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The great Saudi Arabian soccer experiment is on full show at the Club World Cup. The oil-rich kingdom, which is spending billions of dollars to become a major player in the world's most popular sport, scored a big win on the field Monday when Al Hilal beat Premier League giant Manchester City 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. It was a seismic result in soccer terms; possibly the biggest upset of the tournament and precisely the type of statement Saudi Arabia has wanted to make since embarking on a project that will ultimately see it stage the World Cup in 2034. 'We wanted to show that Al Hilal has the talent, the power to be here,' said defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who was among a slew of star players paid fortunes to leave Europe's top clubs for the Saudi Pro League in recent years. Superstar signings and ones that got away The biggest of them all was Cristiano Ronaldo, who completed one of the most stunning moves in soccer history when joining Al Nassr for a reported salary of up to $200 million a year in 2022. That deal prompted a spectacular recruitment drive by Saudi teams — backed by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund — and in came superstars like Neymar and Karim Benzema, while audacious attempts were made to sign Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Confirmation that Saudi Arabia had won the right to host the World Cup came in December. On the field, the Club World Cup was the first chance for the country to make a global statement about the growth of its domestic game, which is largely unheralded outside of Asia. It is likely why Al Hilal — Saudi Arabia's most successful team — was so eager to make another marquee signing before the tournament began and tried, but failed, to lure Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. It pulled off a coup by hiring coach Simone Inzaghi. The Italian arrived after leading Inter Milan to a second Champions League final in three seasons and he is already making a mark with his new team after drawing 1-1 against Real Madrid in the group stage and then beating City. 'We had to do something extraordinary because we knew how good Manchester City are, we knew we had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and we were great," Inzaghi said. Saudi Arabian soccer has faced doubts The broader picture is what Al Hilal's run says about the standard of soccer in Saudi Arabia, which has been dismissed by some as a cash grab for players, who can earn far more than if they'd remained in Europe. 'Let's see now if they will criticize us after these games," said midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Al Hilal from Italian team Lazio. 'It's not like how they are speaking about the league.' Despite recruiting so many players from Europe's top clubs — including Champions League winners N'Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino — it is difficult to judge the quality of the Saudi League. To put Al Hilal's run into context: while it may have won a record 19 league titles and four Asian championships, it is not the Saudi Arabia's reigning national champion, having been beaten to the title by Benzema's Al-Ittihad last season. Another Saudi team, Al-Ahli, which counts former Liverpool forward Firmino and ex Manchester City winger Mahrez among its players, won the Asian Champions League this year. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is yet to win the title in three attempts with Al Nassr — pointing to the depth of strength in the league. Al Hilal's performances have also come despite releasing Brazil great Neymar in January and with leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic having played no part so far because of injury. Can Al Hilal win the Club World Cup? The question now is how far Al Hilal can go. Next up is Brazil's Fluminense in the quarterfinals in Orlando on Friday. City's exit — along with Inter Milan's defeat to Fluminense — has opened up that side of the draw, which also features Palmeiras and Chelsea. On paper it looks like the favorable side of the draw, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain on the other side. But the success of Brazilian teams has been another theme of the tournament and Al Hilal will have to beat at least one more if it is to advance to the final. Inzaghi, however, is used to overachieving. His two Champions League finals with Inter Milan came despite having an aging team and relying on savvy deals in the transfer market to pick up free agents and veteran players. Inter's victory against Barcelona in the semifinals of this year's competition was one of the all-time classic contests — winning 7-6 on aggregate. Al Hilal's impressive run has come after Inzaghi spent just one week training with the team before the tournament. Even if it is eliminated in the next round, a quarterfinals appearance would represent an outstanding campaign for a team that was not expected to compete for the title. Sportswashing accusations remain Saudi Arabia's growing influence on sport — which also includes LIV Golf, world championship boxing, F1 and the buyout of Premier League team Newcastle — will continue to raise accusations it is 'sportswashing' its reputation. Amnesty international called it 'reckless' to grant it the World Cup over concerns about the country's human rights record. But its investment in sport is undoubtedly paying off and Al Hilal's run is succeeding in raising the profile of its soccer league. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer: recommended
