Al-Hilal remain Asia’s last hope at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after the Saudi giants earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Red Bull Salzburg on June 22, preserving their chances of reaching the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Al-Ain’s campaign came to a disastrous end following a crushing 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Facing Salzburg at the Audi Field in Washington DC, Al-Hilal head coach Simone Inzaghi opted to stick with the same starting eleven that held Real Madrid just days earlier, signaling a clear intent to secure all three points.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou once again proved instrumental, building on his heroic display against Madrid by keeping out a barrage of Salzburg attacks with a series of decisive saves. But his opposite number, Christian Zawieschitzky, was equally resilient, denying efforts from Salem Al-Dawsari, Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to ensure the match ended in a stalemate.
While the result leaves Group C wide open, Al-Hilal will now enter their final match with qualification still in their hands.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Al-Ain. Drawn into a tough group and pitted against a resurgent Manchester City at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Emirati side were overwhelmed from the outset. İlkay Gündoğan opened the scoring just eight minutes in, followed by a 27th-minute strike from rising Argentine talent Claudio Echeverri. Despite Rui Patrício’s presence between the posts, Al-Ain had no answer for City’s relentless pressure. Erling Haaland’s injury-time penalty sent the Cityzens into the break 3-0 up, and the second half brought no reprieve. Gündoğan added his second in the 73rd minute, before late strikes from Oscar Bobb and summer signing Rayan Cherki completed the rout.
With Urawa Red Diamonds, Ulsan HD, and Al-Ain all eliminated, Al-Hilal now carry the weight of Asian football on their shoulders. As the tournament enters its final stretch, all eyes will be on the Riyadh-based club to see if they can break through the European and South American dominance—and remind the world that Asian football is ready to compete on the biggest stage.