Man City Dumped Out of Club World Cup

After a season to forget, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City found a new low at the Club World Cup as they were booted out of the tournament by Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal. The Pro League side, officially called Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club, gave Man City – and indeed the world of football – an almighty shock as they defeated the ten-time English champions 4-3 after extra time.

Given that Pep’s men went into FIFA’s much-maligned tournament as one of the favourites, it is not only a shock but a complete humiliation for the side who won the last renewal in 2023 (when they also won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Premier League and the FA Cup). It was quite a fall from grace.

Manchester City 3-4 Al-Hilal – How It Happened

🚨💙 Al Hilal eliminate Man City from the FIFA Club World Cup! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/f0pdVTfJly

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 1, 2025

Prior to these sides meeting in the Round of 16, Man City had appeared to have turned a corner. They won all three of their group games: 2-0 against Moroccan side Wydad, 6-0 against Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain, and then, most impressively, 5-2 against Italian giants Juventus. So coming into this match, Guardiola’s men must have been high on confidence. In hindsight… perhaps they were a little overconfident!

Al-Hilal, meanwhile, didn’t exactly take their group by storm. Okay, their opening 1-1 draw against the mighty Real Madrid showed signs they weren’t at the tournament simply to make up the numbers. But their 0-0 goalless draw against Red Bull Salzburg hardly set the pulses racing. They looked capable enough against Mexican side Pachuca as they cruised to a 2-0 victory in their final group match, but few suspected they’d pose a serious challenge to a resurgent City side.

The Round of 16 match was quite a spectacle, especially for fans of Al-Hilal. Man City got a fast start, as they have several times in the tournament, and Bernardo Silva got the opening goal after nine minutes. They couldn’t add to their tally, however, despite creating chances, and the score remained 1-0 at the break. The underdogs wasted no time hitting back in the second period, as Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo headed in to make it 1-1 in the 46th minute.

Things got worse for City just a few minutes later when another Brazilian, the former Zenit Saint Petersburg and Barcelona man Malcom, put the Saudis ahead. Their lead didn’t last long though as Erling Haaland got one back to put the scores level once more. With fans and pundits expecting City to kick on to victory, Al-Hilal held on doggedly and took the game to extra time.

It was the Saudi Pro League side who struck first in extra time, Kalidou Koulibaly heading in to make it 3-2. But Phil Foden, who’d come on as a substitute, got one back to keep City’s hopes alive. With penalties looming, up stepped Marcos Leonardo for his second of the game with eight minutes remaining to make it 4-3 to Al-Hilal. City could find no response and at the final whistle, the Saudis celebrated like they’d won the (Club) World Cup!

Could Al-Hilal Go All the Way?

Now the Saudis have made it past the giant hurdle that is Manchester City (who fly home in dismay), there’s talk that Al-Hilal could become the first side outside of Europe or South America to win the Club World Cup. They were, after all, the losing finalists in 2022 when they went down 5-3 to Real Madrid (although only seven sides participated, compared to the 32 at the current tournament).

Al-Hilal are certainly on the slightly easier side of the draw. European champions Paris Saint-Germain face Bayern Munich in a quarter final on the other side of the draw, and the winner of that is likely to have an equally tough semi. But Al-Hilal face Brazilian side Fluminense in their quarter, the South Americans having eased past Inter Milan 2-0 in their Round of 16 game. If the Saudis win that, which is far from certain, they’ll face the winners of the match between Chelsea and Palmeiras. As such, it’s not an easy route for the Saudis to the final, and it might be just a little hasty to start suggesting they could follow up their defeat of City by winning the whole competition.

What Now for Manchester City?

Although City couldn’t progress past the Round of 16 at the Club World Cup, they still pocketed upwards of £35m for their efforts. That’s a long way short of what they’d have earned if they’d won, but it’s a reasonable consolation on one level. It also means the players can get a bit more rest and recuperation ahead of the new season, which is just a few weeks away. That is arguably a welcome bonus for Guardiola, who must have been concerned his players were overdoing it after a tough season.

Ultimately, City’s exit from the tournament might prove a blessing in disguise, but we probably won’t know that until May 2026 when we see if Pep’s men have rediscovered the winning formula at home and abroad.