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Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal is the First Arab Team to Surpass the Round of 16 in the FIFA Club World Cup
In a historic milestone, Al-Hilal Saudi team became the first Arab club to advance beyond the Round of 16 in the FIFA Club World Cup, under both its old and new formats, cementing its status as one of the continent's prestigious clubs. Al-Hilal achieved an unprecedented feat by knocking out the English team Manchester City, one of the top European teams, in an exciting match that ended 4-3 after extra time, advancing to the quarter-finals of the tournament currently held in America. This match took place on Monday evening local time (Tuesday morning Greenwich Mean Time).
Al-Hilal, the only Arab representative remaining in the knockout stages, is set for a significant encounter against Brazilian club Fluminense, which previously eliminated Italian team Inter Milan with a 2-0 victory, reflecting the high level of capability possessed by both teams.
The Manchester City match marks the fifth encounter between Al-Hilal and European clubs, where the Saudi team has made a prominent impression in previous matchups, highlighting its development both continentally and internationally. The initial meeting was against Chelsea in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in February 2022 in Abu Dhabi, where Al-Hilal narrowly lost 1-0 to Romelu Lukaku, despite performing a well-organized defensive effort and coming close to equalizing multiple times.
In the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final, Al-Hilal faced Spain’s Real Madrid in Morocco, delivering a remarkable performance despite losing 5-3. Musa Maraqa and Luciano Vietto scored for Al-Hilal, demonstrating the team’s offensive capabilities against Europe’s top clubs, earning widespread praise from global media.
In the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Al-Hilal again faced Real Madrid in the group stage, achieving an important 1-1 draw in a match characterized by balanced play and superior control by the Saudi team. Salem Al-Dawsari scored, and Yasin Bono saved a penalty in the final moments. The team also faced Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, resulting in a goalless draw, which helped secure their qualification to the next round.
The matchup against Manchester City in the Round of 16 highlights the significant progress of the team, after winning a marathon match lasting 120 minutes, confirming its ability to compete with Europe’s top clubs.
Beyond official competitions, Al-Hilal has played many friendly matches of high moral and technical value, most notably their victory over Spain’s Valencia in 2005 with a 2-1 score, and the historic win against Manchester United in 2008 with a 3-2 result, a match that marked the retirement of legend Sami Al-Jaber. The team also played friendlies against Nottingham Forest, with one ending in a loss and the other in a win, adding to the club’s long history of European friendly encounters.
Al-Hilal’s record in international competitions reflects a distinguished presence and noticeable development, embodying its ambitions and aspirations for global recognition. It demonstrates that its pursuit and challenges against major teams are not recent but the result of ongoing effort and dedication over many years, making Al-Hilal one of the symbols of Saudi and Arab football on the global stage.
