Fluminense Reach Club World Cup Semis After Dramatic Win Over Al-Hilal
Fluminense have done it again, this time taking down Saudi giants Al-Hilal to book their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals, where they’ll face either Chelsea or Palmeiras on Tuesday (20:00 BST) in New Jersey.
Matheus Martinelli opened the scoring for the Brazilian side with a sublime top-corner finish from Gabriel Fuentes’ perfectly weighted pass, a goal oozing class and control. Al-Hilal thought they had a lifeline when Samuel Xavier clipped Marcos Leonardo in the box, but VAR rightly overturned the penalty after spotting it was an accidental touch.
Leonardo got his goal, his fourth of the tournament
Still, Leonardo got his goal, his fourth of the tournament, reacting quickest when Kalidou Koulibaly’s header landed at his feet inside the six-yard box. That made it 1-1 and set up a tense finish.
But Fluminense found the winner. Xavier, making up for the earlier scare, nodded the ball into the path of substitute Hércules, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner to send Flu fans into wild celebrations.
Al-Hilal, to their credit, threw everything at it in the dying minutes.
But 44-year-old Fábio, the second-oldest player in Club World Cup history, stood tall, denying Koulibaly and Musab Al Juwayr with clutch saves. Alongside him, 40-year-old Thiago Silva showed his class and courage, soldiering on after injuring his nose and keeping the backline tight.
This wasn’t the semi-final anyone expected. Many had pencilled in a glamorous Man City vs Inter Milan showdown. But Al-Hilal stunned the Premier League champions, and Fluminense shocked Inter, turning the script completely on its head.
What’s remarkable is that Fluminense aren’t even Brazil’s top team. They flirted with relegation last season and sit sixth in the current league table. But now? They’re just two wins away from being world champions.
Other Highlights:
Emotional scenes before kickoff as Al-Hilal’s João Cancelo and Rúben Neves were in tears during a minute’s silence for Portugal teammate Diogo Jota.
Marcos Leonardo finishes the tournament as joint top scorer (4 goals) alongside Benfica’s Ángel Di María with both now out.
Harry Kane (Bayern) and Pedro Neto (Chelsea) are among those chasing on three goals.
Fluminense head to New Jersey with momentum, belief, and history on the line. Al-Hilal, meanwhile, will reset for the 2025-26 Saudi season next month.
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