Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal knock out Manchester City in epic Club World Cup game

Manchester City have been knocked out of the Club World Cup in stunning fashion after a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in what was arguably the game of the tournament. The seven-goal thriller, played over 120 minutes in Orlando, ended with a decisive strike from Marcos Leonardo in the 112th minute, sealing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.

City started brightly, pinning Al Hilal deep in their own half with Jérémy Doku causing problems down the left. Their early pressure paid off in the ninth minute when Bernardo Silva capitalised on a scramble in the box to open the scoring. Despite a few half-chances for Al Hilal, the first half was largely controlled by Pep Guardiola’s side, who dominated possession in vintage fashion.

The second half, however, flipped the narrative. Marcos Leonardo equalised after a loose ball fell to him in the box, and just six minutes later, Malcom gave Al Hilal the lead, finishing a clinical counterattack set up by Joao Cancelo. City responded almost immediately through Erling Haaland, who netted his 301st career goal to level the match again.

Al Hilal thought they had a penalty shortly after but a VAR check ruled Malcom offside in the build-up. City nearly grabbed the winner in regulation, only for Al Hilal to clear off the line in a chaotic scramble. With the score tied at 2-2, extra time was needed.

Just minutes into the added period, Kalidou Koulibaly powered in a header from a corner to put Al Hilal ahead once more. Guardiola reacted by bringing on Phil Foden, and the move paid off. A clever ball from new signing Rayan Cherki found Foden, who buried a left-footed strike to make it 3-3.

But the final word belonged to Leonardo. After Ederson made a brilliant save to deny Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, the Serbian midfielder headed the rebound into the path of Leonardo, who tapped in the winner from close range.

It was a crushing exit for Manchester City, while Al Hilal celebrated a famous victory under new manager Simone Inzaghi, who recently took over after leaving Inter Milan. Al Hilal now advance to face Fluminense in the Club World Cup quarter-final.