Who are Al Hilal? Meet the Saudi giants who humbled Manchester City
Saudi Arabia
has spent billions in its bid to become a powerhouse in world football. On Monday night in Florida, under the floodlights of Camping World Stadium, a significant return on that investment was felt.
Al Hilal, the pride of Riyadh, stunned European champions Manchester City 4–3 in one of the most dramatic Club World Cup matches in recent memory.
The drama of the match was undeniable, seven goals, extra time, and moments of individual brilliance. But its true weight lay beyond the pitch. This result was less about the chaos of a single game and more about a calculated rise reaching unmistakable visibility.
What unfolded in Orlando was not an anomaly.
It was the outcome of years of strategic ambition, a declaration, loud and clear, that Saudi football is not just showing up. It's showing teeth.
Who Are Al Hilal?
Owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the same $700 billion sovereign fund that owns Newcastle United, Al Hilal form the cornerstone of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's grand sporting rebrand. alongside Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and even Newcastle United, they're part of a quartet of clubs taken under direct state control in 2023.
Al Hilal are the crown jewel of Saudi football's ambitious renaissance.
Their dazzling new 26,000-seat Kingdom Arena in Riyadh stands as a concrete proclamation of intent, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's sporting makeover of the kingdom.
The Night the World Noticed
For all their regional dominance, there's always been one lingering question: can Saudi clubs compete with Europe's elite?
That question was answered, emphatically, when Al Hilal toppled Manchester City, a club many consider the final form of modern football. The irony wasn't lost: Pep Guardiola's side are also backed by a Gulf state (Abu Dhabi's City Football Group), also engineered for global dominance, also armed with lavish resources. The difference? City had the
Champions League
.
Al Hilal had a point to prove.
And on this night, the point was made, with style. Marcos Leonardo starred with two goals, including the 112th-minute winner. Malcom, the forgotten Brazilian once of Barcelona, turned in a dazzling performance. Kalidou Koulibaly, the Senegalese rock, scored from a set piece. And Bono, the Moroccan goalkeeper who became a World Cup cult hero, saved ten shots to deny City a fifth goal.
When Phil Foden's brilliant volley made it 3–3 in extra time, it felt like the
Premier League
machine might still power through.
But Al Hilal held their nerve, showed their teeth, and refused to bend.
The Stars Behind Al Hilal's Rise
Al Hilal's squad is a mosaic of global ambition and local loyalty:
Marcos Leonardo: At 21, the Brazilian striker has 17 domestic goals and is quickly becoming the face of Saudi football's next generation.
Aleksandar Mitrović: The battering ram. With 19 goals this season, the former Fulham forward is the hammer that breaks defensive lines.
Salem Al-Dawsari: The heartbeat of Saudi football, known worldwide for his World Cup goals but revered in Riyadh for his consistency and flair.
Malcom: Revived from obscurity, the Brazilian winger has rediscovered his spark on Saudi soil, fast, direct, and fearless.
Rúben Neves: Once captain of Wolves, now the metronome of Al Hilal's midfield. A symbol of the league's new pulling power.
Kalidou Koulibaly: Leadership incarnate. Brings steel and swagger to the backline.
João Cancelo: On loan but undeterred, the Portuguese full-back adds thrust and creativity, roaming like a winger with a license to thrill.
Yassine Bounou (Bono): The smiling assassin in goal. His reflex saves have turned tense moments into legend, again.
Neymar Jr.: Though injured, his arrival in 2023 changed everything. He gave the league its Hollywood face, and proved Saudi Arabia could sign
anyone
.
What This Win Really Means
There's a certain irony in watching Manchester City, the gold standard of modern, oil-backed football, get knocked out of the Club World Cup, defeated by their spiritual cousin, built with similar means but emerging from a different desert. For a club like City, built to win everything, an early Club World Cup exit is a rare embarrassment.
For Al Hilal, it's validation on a global scale.
The victory is both symbolic and strategic. It undermines the idea that top-level football is still exclusively a European preserve. It echoes what Saudi Arabia wants the world to understand: that the game is changing, and the money, and ambition, is flowing east. This wasn't about lucky deflections or tired legs. It was about a well-constructed football institution taking down one of the best.
And in doing so, Al Hilal didn't just earn a win.
They earned respect.
If they can beat the European champions, then what else is possible? A Club World Cup run? An intercontinental rivalry? A Saudi club hoisting the trophy in 2025? For now, they move on to face Fluminense in the quarterfinals. But the bigger takeaway is this: Al Hilal are no longer just kings of Asia. They're legitimate contenders on football's global stage. And their rivals can no longer ignore them, or mock the Saudi project.
As one Saudi player told a local agency post-match, beaming and breathless: "They thought we were just tourists in this tournament. Now they know we came to win it."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
20 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Who is Natalia Garibotto? Meet Brazilian model dating NBA guard Malik Beasley after his divorce
Malik 'Threesley' Beasley turned heads off the court in late March 2025 when he revealed his new relationship with Natalia Garibotto. The Detroit Pistons guard finalized his divorce from Montana Yao in March 2025, and within weeks, he was seen holding hands with the Brazilian model. Their relationship didn't just sneak into the spotlight; it walked right into it thanks to Easter selfies, beach photos, and courtside appearances. But there's more to this story than just matching outfits and Instagram captions. The pair has some surprising history. From college friends to something more According to Natalia's Instagram, the pair first crossed paths a decade ago while she attended the University of Miami and Beasley was at Florida State University. They kept in touch sporadically but only began dating in late March 2025, days after Beasley's divorce was finalized in Michigan court. Their new relationship went public when cameras captured them holding hands in Miami following a Pistons victory over the Heat, according to a New York Post report. Threesley later shared Easter snapshots with Garibotto, captioning the post, 'I found my bunny @nataagataa Happy Easter.' They're happy and they're not hiding it Since that first post, Beasley and the bikini model have made it clear they are a couple. Their social media presence quickly gained traction, with photos, tweets, and affectionate captions confirming their relationship status. Most recently, he shared pictures of their beach trip together, calling Garibotto his 'sunshine.' The model has also attended several of his games, visibly supporting him from the courtside. While Beasley's previous relationship ended under public scrutiny, his new chapter with Garibotto appears to be one both are embracing openly.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business Standard
Al-Hilal's win over City justifies Saudi Arabia's great football experiment
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.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Serhou Guirassy scores brace as Dortmund advances at Club World Cup with 2-1 win over feisty Monterrey
ATLANTA: Serhou Guirassy scored a pair of first-half goals, both assisted by Karim Adeyemi, and Borussia Dortmund held off Monterrey 2-1 Tuesday night in the final round of 16 game at the Club World Cup. Guirassy drove a shot just inside the left post in the 14th minute, then sent another past keeper Esteban Andrada in the 24th when left unmarked from 15 yards at the top of the penalty area. Both times, it was Adeyemi delivering the pass that set up Guirassy, a native of France who plays for Guinea's national team. The 29-year-old striker has three goals in four tournament games and 37 across all competitions in his first season with Dortmund. Dortmund will face Real Madrid on Saturday at East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Spanish power advanced with a 1-0 victory over Italy's Juventus in an afternoon match. Jobe Bellingham received a yellow card in the 28th minute and will miss the match against Real – and his brother, former Dortmund star Jude Bellingham — because of yellow card accumulation.
