ORLANDO, Fla. — Al Hilal pulled off the shock of the FIFA Club World Cup when they dumped out Manchester City in the round of 16.
Their 4-3 win in extra time at Camping World Stadium on Monday sent Pep Guardiola’s team home early. It also made a statement for football in Saudi Arabia to go with the huge investment made by their Public Investment Fund since 2023.
After the game, midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic referenced the criticism faced by some players who have decided to swap Europe for the Saudi Pro League (SPL). There have been accusations of choosing money over ambition and being complicit in Saudi “sportswashing” — the term used to describe the theory of countries using sport to soften their global image.
Al Hilal have made a splash at the Club World Cup before, reaching the final in Morocco in 2022 before losing to Real Madrid. This summer they drew 1-1 with the Spanish giants in their first group game in the new expanded version and, after beating City, they’ll have the chance to reach the semifinals when they face Fluminense in Orlando on Friday.
Here’s the rundown of the Al Hilal squad ahead of their Club World Cup quarterfinal.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper has had an outstanding Club World Cup. He saved a stoppage-time penalty from Ernesto Valverde in the draw with Madrid and he was in fantastic form against City. He won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020 and 2023, and was key to Morocco’s run to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.
The center back, 34, was one of a number of players who arrived at Al Hilal in the summer of 2023 during their extensive recruitment drive. He won the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2020 before a season in the Premier League with Chelsea in 2022-23. His move to Al Hilal cost a transfer fee of around £20 million.
Lodi made his name at Atlético Madrid, where he was part of the team that won LaLiga in 2021. The 27-year-old defender had spells at Nottingham Forest and Marseille before moving to Al Hilal in a deal worth close to £20 million. Lodi is a full Brazil international after making his debut for the Seleção in 2019.
Pep Guardiola called Cancelo “one of the best full backs in the world” ahead of the round-of-16 tie with City. It was a shock when the Portugal international left City for Bayern Munich — initially on loan — in January 2023 after being named in the Premier League’s team of the year in 2021 and 2022. He had a loan spell at Barcelona before he joined Al Hilal in August 2024.
The 25-year-old left back was one of three Saudi Arabia internationals to start against City. He began his career at Al Shabab before moving to Al Hilal in 2024. He represented Saudi at youth level for the under-20s and under-23s before making his senior debut in 2021.
Neves’ move to Al Hilal was important for the SPL because it showed they could attract younger players. Many of the stars who arrived in the summer of 2023 were considered to be coming to the end of their careers. Neves was 26 when he moved from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth £47 million, at the time a record for a Saudi club. The Portugal international had previously been linked with Barcelona and Manchester United.
A dominant central midfielder, he made close to 350 appearances for Lazio between 2015 and 2023. The 30-year-old was fantastic against City in the round of 16 and afterward made a point of hitting back at the critics who questioned his motivation for moving to Saudi. He was heavily linked with moves to AC Milan, Juventus and Manchester United during his time in Italy.
The 30-year-old midfielder has spent time at Al Ettifaq and Al Hilal in the SPL. He’s been capped 64 times by Saudi Arabia and was part of the squad for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. One of the players who was at Al Hilal before the wave of investment, he’s won the Saudi title five times.
Another who came through Al Hilal’s academy. The 26-year-old can play at left back or in midfield. Starting in midfield against City, he was only denied a goal thanks to a last-ditch challenge from Manuel Akanji. He’s a regular for Saudi Arabia and has been capped 32 times.
The 33-year-old came through Al Hilal’s academy after joining at 14. He made his senior debut in 2010 at 19 and has gone on to make more than 450 appearances for the club. He missed the victory over City because of a hamstring injury and is unlikely to play again at the Club World Cup. He scored Saudi Arabia’s winner against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup and has spent his entire club career at Al Hilal except for a brief loan spell at Villarreal in 2017-18.
Malcom | 28 | Winger
The Brazilian winger has had spells at Corinthians, Bordeaux and Barcelona. He moved to Al Hilal from Zenit St. Petersburg in 2023 and was part of the team that won the SPL title in 2024. The 28-year-old, who has been capped twice by Brazil, impressed against City, scoring the second goal with a precise finish past Ederson after sprinting from his own half.
The 21-year-old Brazilian winger only moved to Al Hilal in January. He came off the bench against City, replacing Malcom in the second half. Formerly of Guimarães, he has represented Brazil at under-23 level.
The Serbia international moved to Al Hilal from Fulham in a £50 million deal in August 2023. He was a prolific scorer in the Championship and scored 43 league goals during 2021-22 to help get Fulham promoted back to the Premier League. Now 30, he has 28 league goals in 28 games in his first season in the SPL. He hasn’t been able to play at the Club World Cup because of a calf injury.
The 22-year-old scored twice against City, including the winner in extra time. He joined Benfica from Santos in 2023 before moving to Al Hilal for a transfer fee approaching £35 million a year later. He scored five goals in five games for Brazil at the Under-20 World Cup in 2023 to win the Silver Boot.
Simone Inzaghi | Manager
It was a coup for Al Hilal to appoint Inzaghi as their head coach in the buildup to the Club World Cup. The Italian guided Inter Milan to two UEFA Champions League finals in 2023 and 2025 and lifted the Serie A title in 2024. He was also named Serie A coach of the year in the 2023-24 season.
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