Fluminense vs Al-Hilal Date and Time: Quarter-Final Showdown in Orlando
The much-anticipated Fluminense vs Al-Hilal date and time: Fluminense vs Al-Hilal quarter-final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was held on Friday, July 4, 2025, at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida. Kick-off was at 3:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM BST). Both teams entered the match on the back of stunning upsets in the previous round, setting the stage for a dramatic encounter.
Match Recap and Flow
- Date & Time: Friday, July 4, 2025, 3:00 PM ET
- Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
- Attendance: Over 43,000 fans created a vibrant, emotional atmosphere.
First Half
- The opening 40 minutes were cagey, with both teams cautious and few clear chances.
- 40th minute: Fluminense’s breakthrough came from Matheus Martinelli, who received a pass from Gabriel Fuentes, took a deft first touch to beat his marker, and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike into the top right corner past Yassine Bounou.
- Al-Hilal nearly leveled before halftime, with Kalidou Koulibaly’s header forcing a sprawling save from Fluminense keeper Fabio.
- In stoppage time, Al-Hilal thought they’d won a penalty, but VAR overturned the decision for "no foul".
Second Half
- 51st minute: Al-Hilal equalized when Koulibaly’s header from a corner found Marcos Leonardo, who calmly finished from close range for his fourth goal of the tournament.
- Al-Hilal gained momentum after the equalizer and pressed Fluminense’s defense, but the Brazilian side held firm.
- 70th minute: Fluminense regained the lead. Substitute Hércules, who had also scored off the bench in the previous round, controlled a flick-on from Samuel Xavier and fired a low right-footed shot into the bottom left corner.
- In the final 15 minutes, Al-Hilal dominated possession (over 70%) and launched wave after wave of attacks, but Fluminense’s defense was resolute, with Juan Pablo Freytes and Ignacio each making nine clearances.
Key Moments
- VAR Drama: Al-Hilal’s penalty shout in first-half stoppage time was overturned by VAR, a pivotal moment as they sought a quick response.
- Late Pressure: Al-Hilal appealed for multiple penalties late on, but the referee waved play on, and Koulibaly was booked for simulation.
- Defensive Heroics: Fluminense faced 12 shots in the second half (three on target), but their defenders blocked and cleared everything thrown at them.
Tactical & Statistical Highlights
Stat | Fluminense | Al-Hilal |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 (Martinelli 40’, Hércules 70’) | 1 (Marcos Leonardo 51’) |
| Shots(on target) | 10(3) | 15(4) |
| Possession | 43% | 57% |
| Yellow card | 3 | 4 |
| corner kicks | 4 | 12 |
- Fluminense scored with their only shot on target in the first half.
- Hércules has now scored twice as a substitute in consecutive knockout games, underlining Fluminense’s bench impact.
- Al-Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo continued his strong tournament, stepping up in the absence of star forward Aleksandar Mitrović.
Emotional and Historical Context
- The match began with a minute’s silence for Diogo Jota and André Silva, adding emotional weight to the occasion.
- Fluminense, considered one of the tournament’s underdogs, reached the semi-finals for the first time, defying expectations.
- Al-Hilal, fresh from a historic win over Manchester City, pushed hard but fell short despite dominating late possession.
What’s Next
- Fluminense advance to face the winner of Palmeiras vs Chelsea in the semi-final.
- Martinelli will miss the semi-final due to a yellow card suspension.