Fluminense stun Al-Hilal to reach Club World Cup semi-finals

ORLANDO, Florida : Brazilian side Fluminense continued their remarkable run at the Club World Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal on Friday in Orlando, booking a surprise place in the semi-finals.

The underdogs made a strong start, opening the scoring in the first half when Joao Cancelo’s failed clearance allowed Gabriel Fuentes to set up Matheus Martinelli, who curled a superb left-footed strike into the top corner. Al-Hilal responded early in the second half through Marcus Leonardo, but Fluminense refused to back down.

The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Hercules restored the Brazilian side’s lead, and they held firm to seal a famous victory in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

Captain Thiago Silva reflected on the journey with pride: “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… but it was so far away from us.”

Martinelli, who will miss the semi-final due to suspension, said, “Many people didn’t believe in our potential, but each game we’ve shown how tough we are.”

Fluminense will now face the winner of the quarter-final between Palmeiras and Chelsea, as their fairy-tale run continues.