Fluminense Beat Al Hilal in Intense Quarterfinal Battle

Fluminense defeated Al Hilal 2-1 in the quarterfinals, becoming the first team to advance to the semifinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Fluminense was the more proactive team in terms of ball possession compared to Al Hilal, and the Brazilian side opened the scoring in the 40th minute through Matheus Martinelli.

In the 45+3 minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Al Hilal, judging that Samuel Xavier had fouled Leonardo in the box. However, after consulting VAR, the referee overturned his decision. The first half ended with Fluminense in the lead.

In the second half, Al Hilal surprised everyone by fielding an aggressive lineup to apply intense pressure on Fluminense. The Asian side managed to equalize in the 51st minute, with Marcos Leonardo scoring the goal.

After Al Hilal's equalizer, both teams engaged in an exciting attacking display, creating chance after chance in search of a winning goal. However, it was Fluminense who capitalized on one of their opportunities.

In the 70th minute, following a header by Xavier, substitute Hercules broke free, faced goalkeeper Yassine Bono, and fired a diagonal shot to make it 2-1 for Fluminense.

In the closing minutes of the match, Al Hilal pushed hard for another equalizer but ultimately fell short.

In the end, Fluminense secured a 2-1 victory and became the first team to book a spot in the semifinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Coach Renato Gaucho and his team will face the winner of the Chelsea vs. Palmeiras match. Al Hilal officially concludes their impressive run in this year's tournament in the United States.