Al Hilal secured a 2-0 victory over Mexico’s Pachuca on Friday, earning the Saudi side a place in the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup. This marked Al Hilal’s first win of the tournament, placing them second in Group H behind Real Madrid.
Salem Al-Dawsari opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, and Marcos Leonardo sealed the win in stoppage time. The four-time AFC Champions League winners will now face Manchester City in the Round of 16 in Orlando on Tuesday.
Though Pachuca had already been eliminated after two losses, the Mexican side showed attacking intent. However, Al Hilal’s defense, led by Kalidou Koulibaly, kept striker Salomón Rondón at bay, limiting Pachuca to long-range efforts and half-chances.
Al Hilal appeared to drop back defensively late in the match, giving Pachuca multiple opportunities. But the Saudi team held firm to finish with five points, edging out Red Bull Salzburg, who finished with four.
Midfielder Rúben Neves commented, “It was a tough match, but I think we played really well. We scored first, controlled the game, defended excellently, and got a clean sheet. We qualified—that’s what matters.”
The first goal was the result of a local connection, with Nasser Al-Dawsari providing the assist to captain Salem Al-Dawsari, who lifted the ball over the goalkeeper with a composed finish.
Leonardo missed a one-on-one chance in the 83rd minute, but made amends in stoppage time by dribbling past the goalkeeper and scoring into an empty net after receiving a pass from Neves.
The upcoming match against Manchester City promises to be a greater challenge. “We’re playing one of the top three teams in the world,” said Neves. “We’ll prepare the same way we did for these last three matches and give it our best shot.”
