The Club World Cup upset was Al Hilal's: Manchester City were eliminated.

With a last-minute goal from Marcos Leonardo in extra time, Al Hilal defeated Manchester City 4-3 in Orlando, knocking them out of the Club World Cup, adding another blow to a forgettable season for Pep Guardiola's team. The Saudi team, backed by petrodollars from the Public Investment Fund, thus advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face Fluminense, Inter Milan's executioners.

Brazilian Marcos Leonardo, a Santos player, was the hero of the night, scoring the equalizer and sealing the final scoreline with a 1-1 lead in the 112th minute, after latching on to a rebound from Ederson. Earlier, Kalidou Koulibaly had made it 3-2 with a header in the 94th, although Phil Foden temporarily equalized in the 104th. It was a thrilling, dynamic, and ever-changing match that ended in a celebration for the Saudis.

“We wanted to show that Al Hilal has the talent to be in this tournament, and that's what happened,” said Koulibaly, a key player in both defense and attack.

Despite City's devastating start—a goal from Bernardo Silva in the ninth minute and complete dominance in the first half—the English team couldn't hold on to their lead. In the second half, Simone Inzaghi's men responded with everything: Marcos Leonardo equalized with a header in the 46th, and Malcolm, on a deadly counterattack, turned the game around in the 52nd with a shot across goal.

Haaland came through to equalize 2-2 in the 55th minute from a corner, and the final moments of excitement came in extra time. City had several clear chances but failed to finish. There was also controversy in stoppage time: Jeremy Doku was brought down on a counterattack, and Guardiola lashed out at referee Jesús Valenzuela, who didn't award the foul.

Italian Al Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said on Monday, after his team's 4-3 victory against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, that the day before, it "seemed impossible" to beat Pep Guardiola's team.

"The lads were fantastic, we beat a really good team. It seemed impossible the day before, but we were good. We played with incredible desire," Inzaghi said in the post-match press conference in Orlando.

The Italian coach emphasized his team's physical effort and the importance of recovering energy ahead of the quarterfinals against Fluminense.

"These guys accomplished a feat by taking us to the round of 16. We'll try to prepare ourselves in the best possible way. We'll face a strong team, one that's playing for its championship. But now it's time to enjoy it, because beating Pep's City isn't easy," he stated.

“We had to climb Everest without oxygen, and we did it,” he concluded.

A brace from Marcos Leonardo and goals from Malcom, a former Barcelona player, and Kalidou Koulibaly caused an earthquake in the Club World Cup. City, one of the front-runners for quality of play, having advanced with a full set of points and a favorable team, bows out of the tournament after a thrilling match in which Al Hilal gave their all and claimed a historic victory.

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