Phil Foden (left) dejected, while Al Hilal players celebrate their round of 16 Club World Cup victory at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida on 30/6/2025. Photo: Reuters

Phil Foden (left) dejected, while Al Hilal players celebrate their round of 16 Club World Cup victory at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida on 30/6/2025. Photo: Reuters

The victor of what is considered the tournament's most significant match so far will face Fluminense in the quarterfinals, after the Brazilian side also overcame Inter Milan on a dark day for Champions League representatives. At least one team from South America or Asia will reach the semifinals.

For coach Simone Inzaghi, who recently joined Al Hilal after leaving Inter, the 4-3 victory over Man City felt like sweet revenge against Pep Guardiola, who defeated him in the 2023 Champions League final. Inzaghi also experienced another historic 4-3 match while managing Inter, in the Champions League semifinal against Barca last season.

While Man City started without any English players, Al Hilal showcased the strength of a diverse squad: Italian discipline brought by Inzaghi, the experience of players who have competed in Europe, Brazilian talent, and Saudi Arabian identity.

Standouts included goalkeeper Bono, a key member of the Moroccan team that reached the 2022 World Cup semifinals; center-back Kalidou Koulibaly, who previously played for Napoli and Chelsea; three Brazilian players across different positions – Renan Lodi (defense), Malcom and Marcos Leonardo (attack); veteran Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, once coveted by major European clubs while playing in Italy; Ruben Neves, formerly of Wolverhampton, an expert in set pieces and now deployed as a central defender by Inzaghi; and local captain Mohamed Kanno, a two-time World Cup participant with Saudi Arabia.

The match at Camping World Stadium wasn't just a thrilling chase in terms of score, especially in the second half and extra time, but also included drama. Al Hilal players initially refused to restart play after Bernardo Silva's opening goal, protesting what they believed was a handball by new signing Ait-Nouri. It took several minutes for Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela to restore order and resume the game.

Just as everyone anticipated penalties or a late Man City victory, Brazilian player Marcos Leonardo scored his second goal of the match, sealing a 4-3 win for Al Hilal. Orlando witnessed Saudi Arabia once again making its mark on world football. For Man City, the defeat marked the end of a trophyless season.

A subtle smile from Saudi Arabia

Before the tournament, Al Hilal was considered the biggest hope among the four Asian representatives. The club's fans proudly claim they are the most successful club in terms of domestic and international titles, not just in Saudi Arabia but across the continent. Al Hilal's ambition is to win every competition they enter, having reached the final of the previous version of the FIFA Club World Cup just two years prior (losing 3-5 to Real Madrid).

After setting a world record winning streak (34 matches in 2024), Al Hilal arrived in the US without their usual dominance. Neymar's departure wasn't the reason; rather, the team showed unprecedented inconsistencies with only three wins in nine Saudi Pro League matches from mid-February to mid-April. Adding to their woes was the injury of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who had been prolific before his injury and has yet to regain his form.

However, Inzaghi's arrival, replacing Jorge Jesus, breathed new life into Al Hilal. In the FIFA Club World Cup, they remain undefeated. Mitrovic's replacement, Marcos Leonardo, is leading the team's scoring charts with three goals.

Marcos Leonardo scores the winning goal for Al Hilal against Man City in the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: Reuters

Marcos Leonardo scores the winning goal for Al Hilal against Man City in the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Photo: Reuters

Al Hilal's deep run in the tournament represents not only the club's success but also the ambition of Saudi Arabian football. In fact, between the resounding victory at the 2022 World Cup (defeating Argentina) and Al Hilal's triumph over Man City, the West Asian nation's football has consistently surprised the world.

Al Hilal is one of several Saudi Arabian clubs that have spent heavily to recruit European stars since the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) took control of four teams in the national league in 2023 (Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli) as part of a strategy to expand global sporting influence. In the 2023-2024 season, Saudi Pro League teams spent over $1.1 billion in the transfer market.

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, and it's no coincidence that their PIF invested around $1 billion in DAZN, the broadcaster that acquired the rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup for the same price from FIFA. FIFA also allocated a total prize pool of $1 billion for this tournament. In other words, the tournament in the US is essentially funded by PIF, or Saudi Arabia.

In terms of prize money, Inzaghi's team has earned nearly $35 million following their recent victory and has the opportunity to increase this amount when they face Fluminense in the upcoming quarterfinal. However, money isn't the primary objective for this club or Saudi Arabian football as a whole.

Saudi Arabia's football formula isn't fundamentally different from Qatar's. Investments like those from PIF (also the owner of Newcastle Utd) are a strategic move to expand national influence, serving their "Vision 2030" plan.

In scale and scope, Saudi Arabia even surpasses Qatar. The Gulf nation seeks to rebuild its image and prepare for a world without oil, with sports playing a strategic role. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in various sports, not just football.

They committed $2 billion to a new golf tournament called LIV Golf. The Saudi Tourism Authority is the main sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket, one of the world's wealthiest sports organizations, even surpassing the English Premier League in revenue thanks to the immense value of the Indian domestic television market. The largest prize in horse racing history is the Saudi Cup, held at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, with a total prize purse of $20 million.

Saudi Arabia is becoming a new center for top-tier boxing, with the "Judgment Day" event on 23/12/2023 being just one milestone. PIF acquired a £400 million stake in the McLaren F1 team in 2021 (before selling it to a Bahraini investment fund), and Saudi Arabia hosted its first F1 race in 2021. Many other sports also see Saudi Arabian involvement through significant financial investments, from tennis, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA), to esports.

The financial resources of Saudi Arabian football, and Al Hilal in particular, are so abundant that, according to Esteve Calzada, the club's CEO, numerous offers to sell players to them have been made, solely to exploit their wealth.

"Sometimes I have to say, 'Please, study our squad. Don't offer us players for positions where we already have top players, especially foreigners,'", Calzada said. "'Check if we've filled our foreign player quota (each team in the Saudi Pro League is allowed 10 foreign players). Teams, agents, or players sometimes try to take advantage of us".

Saudi Arabian football in general, and Al Hilal in particular, is a complex machine of sportswashing, political favoritism, and expensive acquisitions, built over more than a decade. Its success isn't measured by Neymar's mere seven matches for Al Hilal. Therefore, Inzaghi and his team's victory over Man City only brought a subtle smile to their faces.

Hoang Thong