Al-Hilal’s Everest Moment: What Worries Lie Ahead for Man City?

Saudi Arabia has invested billions in its ambition to become a major player in the global football scene. On Monday night in Florida, fans celebrated as if they had received a small return on that significant investment.

Al-Hilal's Everest Moment

Al-Hilal, a club from the Saudi Professional League, made a significant statement by defeating the dominant Premier League champions, Manchester City, 4-3 in a thrilling Club World Cup match.

While Monday nights in the US are usually associated with live wrestling broadcasts, this time, football delivered the big spectacle on TV, with Marcos Leonardo's decisive goal eliminating City from the competition.

Former England winger Andros Townsend remarked on Dazn, "Al-Hilal have stunned the world."

For Marcos Leonardo, the Brazilian attacker who scored the winning goal, the game held emotional significance. He devoted his performance to his mother, who has been convalescing after a prolonged period in the hospital months in the hospital due to a serious illness.

"I have faced a challenging period over the past two months, as my mother spent 70 days in the ICU," he revealed. "Fortunately, she is now recovering well." When I scored those two goals, she was on my mind. She even managed to watch the game."

Al-Hilal's head coach, Simone Inzaghi, felt elated, as if he had reached a pinnacle once again.

Just a month earlier, Inzaghi had left Inter Milan, shortly after his team suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final.

Despite being new to the team and missing key players Salem Al Dasani and Aleksandar Mitrovic due to injury, Inzaghi now had a remarkable victory to celebrate.

"The credit for this win goes to the players and the passion they showed on the field," he said.

"We knew this was going to be an extraordinary challenge because Manchester City are so strong. It felt like we had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and yet we delivered.

"We played with great determination and fully embraced the moment. The players earned this victory. They fought for every ball, and it brings joy to the Al-Hilal family, Saudi Arabia, and all the fans supporting us here."