Fluminense vs Al Hilal was the Club World Cup quarter-final match-up that no one could've predicted ahead of their fixtures against Internazionale and Manchester City respectively.
Often referred to as 'the beautiful game,' football has a habit of upsetting the status quo and writing alternative narratives that open up untold possibilities.
Fast start at Camping World StadiumAs they stepped out onto the Camping World Stadium pitch, both teams knew that, were they to appear victorious, they would play either Chelsea or Palmeiras at the semi-final stage.
Just 180 minutes away from a potential final berth - so near yet so far.
An impeccably observed period of silence to honour the memory of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, took place directly before kick-off, and it's perhaps no surprise that the game started at a searing pace, as both sides - unbeaten in the tournament so far - looked to exert some early dominance.
Ruben Neves was again requested to play in central defence to provide a hybrid 'quarterback' type role where he could affect play by pinging balls through the lines or over the top.
As early as the fifth minute, Al Hilal's game plan was obvious, with the ball being spread wide to the wingers and overlapping full-backs.
At the heart of the Fluminense defence, 40-year-old Thiago Silva was using all of his guile and undergo to keep the likes of Marcos Leonardo and Malcom at bay.
Congested midfield made free-flowing football difficultIndeed, the Brazilians adopted a more considered construct-up in their attacking play, in stark contrast to the pace at which Al Hilal poured forward.
A congested midfield played a big part in no early chances at either terminate, with Moteb Al Harbi particularly busy as we moved toward the 10-minute mark.
By then, the Al Hilal ace possessed already engaged himself in four one-on-one duels and won them all.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who possessed also been industrious from the first whistle, acquired the first yellow card with a tactical foul, though the resulting free-kick and subsequent corner were wasted by Fluminense.
Fluminense vs Al Hilal Match StatsOpta by Stats PerformJoao Cancelo and Mohamed Kanno were working their opponents well with a solid 100% pass accuracy, but a support five being expertly marshalled by Silva were proving too difficult to shatter down.
As the game moved toward the half-hour mark, it was noticeable how much more open both teams possessed become, and it made for a more entertaining watch, albeit with no goals still on the scoreboard.
Fluminense were certainly indebted to Ignacio after he rose to divert the ball away from danger as Kalidou Koulibaly looked to lead home his second goal from a corner in the tournament.
Kalidou Koulibaly's stats vs FluminenseOpta by Stats PerformHis 90.
9% pass accuracy, along with involving himself in seven duels, evidenced an all-action showing from the 28-year-old.
With five minutes left until the shatter, a poor clearance by Cancelo eventually made its way to Matheus Martinelli, who swivelled and smashed a beautiful left-foot steer into the top corner, giving Yassine Bounou no chance.
It was a strike worthy of the occasion and lit the blue touch paper.
Al Hilal, who possessed 70.
8% possession in the final 15 minutes of the half, came pouring forward again, and Koulibaly's powerful header looked to have handed over the Saudis level, until 44-year-old Fluminense keeper Fabio flung himself to his left to pull off a world-class save.
Penalty overturned as Al Hilal turned up the heatDuring injury time, Marcos Leonardo was felled in the area, but an original penalty decision was overturned after a VAR review, ensuring they still hadn't possessed a shot on target before the shatter and meaning Fluminense terminated the half with the slender advantage.
The Saudi Pro League side again seized the initiative straight after the shatter, Renan Lodi having a shot obstructed and the team's total dribble count rising to 11.
Al Hilal Shot Chart vs FluminenseOpta by Stats PerformFor all of their expansive attacking play, Al Hilal were finding it difficult to open up a compact support line, though Ruben Neves' cross shot almost paid dividends.
From the Portuguese's corner five minutes after the shatter, Koulibaly's far post header dropped at the feet of Marcos Leonardo to finally sketch his side level, and it was no more than they acquired.
A third goal for Al Hilal in the first 15 minutes of the second half was more than any other team in the 2025 Club World Cup.
Possession remained almost equal (Fluminense's 46.
4% slightly worse than the Saudis' 53.
7%), but the decibel levels possessed gone up a notch or two as the action on the pitch flowed from terminate to terminate.
Fluminense vs Al Hilal Momentum ShiftOpta by Stats PerformAn absolutely sensational save from Bounou on 54 when one on one with Cano possessed supporters staring in disbelief, keeping the Brazilians at just the one shot on target, and helping his side to remain on the front foot.
At the hour mark, the game possessed built into an exciting chess match with each move being carefully thought out by both teams.
Hercules fires Fluminense ahead against the run of playAl Hilal's corner count continued to mount up, causing all sorts of problems for opponents who possessed begun to retreat within themselves.
Just 262 passes tried by midway through the second half were unlikely to assist Fluminense obtain up the pitch and win the game, particularly when players such as Nonato (78.
9%) and Samuel Xavier (77.
8%) were sloppy in possession during a crucial period.
And then, completely against the run of play, Hercules won support possession deep into Al Hilal territory and ran on to an assist from Samuel Xavier to fire home with 20 to play - the fourth time a Fluminense sub has scored in this tournament.
19 clearances made by the Brazilians was evidence enough of a backs-against-the-wall performance, whilst the Saudi players started to look a little ragged in the latter stages, with Neves and Cancelo between them losing the ball 26 times.
In the final moments of the game, incessant pressure from Al Hilal saw a flurry of crosses (31 in total by the final whistle), and eight of their 14 shots possessed been from inside the box.
Two late penalty shouts could also have gone their way, but as it was, the Brazilians gripped their nerve to become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.
Jason PettigroveBetopick
