Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal and Brazil's Fluminense delivered tournament shocks on Monday, eliminating Champions League heavyweights Manchester City and Inter Milan in dramatic last-16 clashes at the revamped Club World Cup.
- Al-Hilal defeated defending champions Manchester City 4-3 in extra time, with Marcos Leonardo scoring a 112th-minute winner
- Fluminense blanked Champions League runners-up Inter Milan 2-0 through goals from Germán Cano and Hércules
- The results mark the first time no European teams will feature in the quarterfinals
- Man City's Phil Foden and Al-Hilal's Kalidou Koulibaly exchanged late goals in extra time before Leonardo's decisive strike
- Inter captain Lautaro Martinez launched a scathing critique of teammates post-match, stating, "players lacking mentality should leave."
Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi described the win as "climbing Everest without oxygen," while Fluminense's veteran defender Thiago Silva highlighted the growing quality of South American clubs against European opposition. The results come just weeks after both Brazilian sides, Flamengo and Botafogo, recorded group stage wins against Chelsea and PSG, respectively.
For Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, the early exit marks a disappointing end to their Club World Cup defense, having won all three group matches convincingly. Inter Milan's elimination compounds a miserable period for the Italian giants, who were thrashed 5-0 by PSG in last month's Champions League final.
The tournament continues Friday with an unprecedented all-non-European quarterfinal between Al-Hilal and Fluminense in Orlando, while Palmeiras await the winner in the semifinals.
