Brazil’s Fluminense face Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in first of the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Who: Fluminense vs Al Hilal
What: FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States
When: Friday, July 4 at 3pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 12pm local (16:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
The first of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals gets under way with the meeting of two mighty continents as South American giants Fluminense take on Asian powerhouse Al Hilal.
As successful as both sides have been in their own continents, however, their appearance in the last eight has come courtesy of both upsetting the odds – and in particular European super clubs – to reach this stage.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the first of the quarterfinals as FIFA’s billion-dollar tournament closes towards its finale.
How did Fluminense reach the quarterfinals?
Fluminense finished second in Group H behind Borussia Dortmund with a win against Ulsan and draws against the German table toppers and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
That set up a round-of-16 meeting with defeated Champions League finalist Inter Milan.
German Cano’s third-minute strike was followed up by a second from Hercules in the third minute of added time to seal a shock 2-0 win against the Serie A runners-up.
Who did Al Hilal beat to reach the quarterfinals?
Al Hilal secured second spot behind Real Madrid in Group H after draws against the Spanish giants and Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg, and a win against Mexico’s Pachuca.
A daunting test against defending Club World Cup champions, Manchester City.
A thrilling 4-3 win after extra time sent the Saudi Pro League club into the quarterfinals with one of the greatest upsets in the tournament’s history.
Who could Fluminense or Al Hilal face in the semifinal?
The winner of this match will face the winner of the second quarterfinal, England’s Chelsea or Brazil’s Palmeiras, in the last four.
That tie will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia immediately after the Fluminense and Al Hilal match.
Who completes the Club World Cup quarterfinal lineup?
Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund complete the quarterfinal lineup, with the winners of those ties facing each other in the semifinals.
Fluminense captain Thiago Silva’s pre-match thoughts
“I think we’ve played very well in this competition. It’s not easy to play against European teams, but the motivation for us is different,” Silva said. “I’m very proud of my team and myself as well, because 10 days ago I had a hamstring injury. Now, we need to recover well because, after three or four days, we have to play again. I’m not young, you know? So I need to recover well.”
Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo’s pre-match thoughts
“I’ve had a difficult time in the last two months,” said Al Hilal’s two-goal hero against Manchester City. “My mother spent 70 days in the Intensive Care Unit. Today, she’s fine, thank God. When I scored those two goals, I thought of her – she was able to watch the match. We have to think about our families – people who want the best for us. If they weren’t watching, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Fluminense team news
Left-back Rene is suspended for the match following his second booking of the tournament in the win against Inter.
Al Hilal team news
Musab Al-Juwayr made his comeback from a knee injury with a substitute appearance in the win against Man City.
Captain Salem Al-Dawsari is unlikely to feature again in the competition after picking up a hamstring problem.
Next up: #FIFACWC Quarter-Finals. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/T49Cj3bOOy
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) July 2, 2025
Head-to-head
This is a first meeting between the sides.
Form guide
Fluminense’s last five games:
W-W-W-D-W
Al Hilal’s last five games:
W-D-D-W-W
Potential Fluminense starting lineup
Fabio; Samuel Xavier, Thiago Silva (C), Freytes, Fuentes; Martinelli, Hercules; Arias, Nonato, Canobbio; Cano
Potential Al Hilal starting lineup
Bounou; Joao Cancelo, Al-Harbi, Koulibaly, Renan Lodi; Nasser Al-Dawsari, Ruben Neves, Milinkovic-Savic; Malcom, Marcos Leonardo, Kanno (c)
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