Manchester City Eliminated from Club World Cup in Shock Loss to Al-Hilal
Manchester City suffered a 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal in Orlando, exiting the Club World Cup after Marcus Leonardo’s 112th-minute winner. Pep Guardiola pointed to a lack of finishing as the key factor, while confirming Rodri had suffered another injury setback.
The match at Camping World Stadium marked a surprising early exit for City in the first edition of the expanded 32-team tournament. Despite creating numerous opportunities, Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland, Josko Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, and Savinho all failed to convert chances in the first half.
Guardiola said: “In the end, we needed to be more clinical. They didn’t threaten much in the first half, but we couldn’t finish our chances. I thought we would advance. We let them counter, but we still had plenty of opportunities. It’s disappointing—we were in good form, and the atmosphere was positive. I’m grateful to the club and especially the players for their effort.”
Rodri, who had only recently returned from a knee injury, came on in the 53rd minute but was substituted in the 100th after complaining of discomfort.
City took the lead in the ninth minute through Bernardo Silva, but Al-Hilal turned the game around with goals from Leonardo and Malcom. Haaland leveled the score two minutes later, sending the match into extra time. After Kalidou Koulibaly’s strike was canceled out by Phil Foden, Leonardo secured the win for Al-Hilal.
Guardiola added: “We wanted to go further, but this tournament only comes around every four years. We felt the team was in a good place, but now it’s time to rest and prepare for next season.”
When asked if he believes City can compete at the highest level next season—having previously expressed doubts—Guardiola replied: “It’s too soon to say, but there were many positive signs. The unity among the players and staff was strong. Al-Hilal is a top team, well-organized and relentless—they deserve credit, but we still performed well.”
The loss ended a difficult season for City, which included a faltering Premier League campaign and an FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace. Silva remained defiant, stating: “When the league starts, we’ll move on and aim for a strong season. We’ve overcome setbacks before, and we’ll do it again.”
Silva also noted the growing competitiveness of clubs outside Europe, saying: “Football has always been global, not just European.”
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