The FIFA Club World Cup has showcased a number of epic giant-slaying performances over the years where underdogs have defied both the odds and the naysayers to deliver iconic sporting moments on a global stage.
This week, Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal etched their name into the history books when they dumped Premier League giants Manchester City out of the 2025 CWC, outgunning the English side in a shock 4-3 extra-time win in what was easily the biggest upset of the tournament so far – and one of the most surprising results in the competition’s entire history.
Al Hilal’s triumph over Man City in the Round of 16 is another entry in the annals of Club World Cup history.
Sao Paulo 1-0 Liverpool (Japan 2005)
Hosted in Japan and featuring just six teams from half a dozen different confederations, winning the 2005 edition of the Club World Cup was expected to be a formality for a Liverpool side that travelled to the Far East as reigning European champions.
Their route to the final via a 3-0 victory over Costa Rican outfit Saprissa was smooth, however, a Liverpool XI that featured the likes of Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Morientes came unstuck in the final in Yokohama.
Mineiro gave Sao Paulo a surprise 27th-minute lead against the shellshocked Merseysiders, however, keeper Rogerio Ceni stole the show with a string of stunning saves to leave the vanquished Reds frustrated.
Victorious Sao Paulo, who were also Intercontinental Cup winners in 1992 and 1993, also became the first club in history to win three world titles in their first three attempts.
Internacional 1-0 Barcelona (Japan 2006)
A year later, the Brazilians were at it again – the scoreline was the same, but this time it was Internacional who played the role of David and a star-studded Barcelona team the part of a vanquished Goliath.
In the lead-up to the climactic occasion, all of the chatter had suggested that Frank Rijkaard’s Barca - who had legendary figures like Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta and Ronaldinho in their ranks - would claim another piece of silverware in straightforward fashion over unfancied Internacional.
Inter – led by Head Coach Abel Braga – had other ideas however, and with goalkeeper Clemer in inspired form, they held out until the 82nd minute before blitzing forward on the counter-attack to net the game’s only goal through Adriano Gabiru.
Flamengo 2-3 Al Hilal (Morocco 2022)
Flamengo already had one eye on a showpiece final with Real Madrid in Rabat before they took to the field at the Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier to play Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the semi-finals of the 2022 Club World Cup.
Al Hilal had toiled against Wydad Casablanca in the previous round and needed penalty kicks to see off the Moroccans to secure their semi-final berth, so the Blue Wave were expected to offer little resistance to a powerful Flamengo.
In fact, any punters browsing bookmaker comparison services like Legal Betting Sites before kick-off would have found big prices for an Al Hilal win across the board.
Still, Al Hilal were determined to spoil the party and helped by two Salem Al Dawsari penalties, they manufactured a surprise 3-1 lead by the 70th minute. Pedro’s late second for Flamengo set nerves jangling, though Al Hilal held on to record a famous win.
The Blue Wave also made a decent fist of things in the final and though they were eventually beaten 5-3 by Real Madrid, Al Hilal’s performances in 2022 served to highlight the emergence of the big-spending Saudi Pro League as a strong footballing force.
Corinthians 1-0 Chelsea (Japan 2012)
European clubs had won five successive Club World Cup titles before the 2012 edition of the tournament, so it was little surprise to see Chelsea installed as odds-on favourites before their tussle with Corinthians in the final at International Stadium Yokohama.
Indeed, a formidable Blues side manned by Peter Cech, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard was expected to be in total command, while Corinthians were given little chance by bookmakers and pundits alike.
However, with Cassio proving unbeatable between the sticks, Corinthians combined solid defending with counter-punching power and eventually delivered a knockout blow through a 69th-minute strike from Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero.
The full-time whistle sparked wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands before Corinthians were crowned as world champions for only the second time in their history.
