Brazilian side Fluminense continued their remarkable journey at the Club World Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal on Friday night in Orlando, Florida, sealing their spot in the semifinals.
The underdogs made an early statement when Matheus Martinelli broke the deadlock in the first half.
Although Al Hilal responded after the break with an equalizer from Marcus Leonardo, Fluminense showed grit and determination, reclaiming the lead in the 70th minute through substitute Hercules, a goal that ultimately proved decisive in their first-ever encounter with the Saudi giants.
Captain Thiago Silva reflected on their surprise progression, saying, “If you asked me a while ago whether we would reach this stage, a semi-final, I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t believe it because I believe in everything that I do, but it was so far away from us.”
Fluminense, considered one of the least likely teams to go deep in the tournament, now look ahead to a semifinal clash against either Palmeiras or Chelsea, who were set to meet in the day’s second quarterfinal.
The breakthrough came after João Cancelo mishandled a clearance, gifting possession to Gabriel Fuentes, who calmly set up Martinelli.
The young midfielder curled a stunning left-footed shot into the top right corner, giving his side the lead. Despite his heroics, Martinelli will miss the semifinal due to a yellow card picked up shortly after scoring.
“Many people didn’t believe in our potential, in our team but each game and each step we proved we can be tough,” Martinelli said. “When we step on the pitch it’s difficult to beat our team.”
Al Hilal began the second half with renewed energy and found an equalizer when Kalidou Koulibaly’s header deflected off Leonardo, who controlled and finished from close range.
But the momentum shifted again when Hercules, who also found the net in their previous win over Inter Milan — replaced Martinelli and made an instant impact. The substitute controlled the ball brilliantly before slotting home into the bottom corner.
Al Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi praised his team’s efforts despite the loss, stating, “I really want to congratulate my squad for the way that they played, they poured their hearts out on the pitch tonight. And of course we are sorry but we need to be proud.”
The game began with a solemn moment, as players and supporters observed a minute’s silence to honor Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother André Silva, who tragically lost their lives in a car accident on Thursday.
