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Who would have thought that the first quarter-final of the FIFA Club World Cup would be Fluminense against Al Hilal? Both were rank outsiders to progress against Inter Milan and Manchester City, respectively, but both did. Now they face each other for a spot in the semi-finals and a step closer to international glory.
Fluminense overcame Inter Milan 2-0, a game in which they could have won by a larger margin, employing a high press that broke down their Italian opponents. That was only Fluminense’s second win in the tournament, but they are unbeaten and will now head into their quarter-final full of belief.
Al Hilal overcame another one of the best teams in the world in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. In a see-saw match, Simone Inzaghi’s men would frustrate, break down and in the end capitalise on key moments that saw them win 4-3. Having also drawn against Real Madrid in the group phases, Al Hilal will not fear anyone they face.
The two underdogs now play each other, arguably as dark horses to win the whole thing.
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Fluminense v Al Hilal key information
• Date: Friday, July 4
• Kick-off time: 8pm BST
• Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
• Referee: TBC
• VAR: TBC
• TV channels: DAZN (UK)
• Odds: FLU (17/10) - DRAW (5/2) - HIL (6/4)
Fluminense team news
The win against Inter Milan was the crowning glory for Fluminense so far this tournament. Goals from Cano in the third minute and Hercules in the 93rd minute capped off a great display for the boys from Brazil. So far this tournament, Fluminense have scored six goals, all coming from six different players, showing that the killer instinct is seeping throughout the team.
For this game against Al Hilal, they will be without left-back Rene, who will miss the game through suspension. Yellow cards in the Club World Cup are only being wiped out after the quarter-finals, meaning that eight other players are in danger of missing the semi-finals if they pick up a yellow card in this game and Fluminense get through.
Martinelli came off at 60 minutes with an injury against Inter, and it is yet to be announced if he will be fit enough to feature on Friday.
Fluminense predicted lineup vs Al Hilal, (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Renato Gaucho
Fabio; Samuel Xavier, Thiago Silva, Freytes, Fuentes; Martinelli, Hercules; Arias, Nonato, Canobbio; Cano
Al Hilal team news
Al Hilal became the first Asian side to defeat European opposition at a Club World Cup with their victory over holders Manchester City. The Blue Waves are now unbeaten in nine games, with the 4-3 win over City being the third time they conceded three goals in that span, although they have won all three of those matches.
Al Hilal will be without captain Salem Al Dawsari for the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring problem, but they welcomed back Musab Al Juwayr, who recovered from a knee injury and featured as a late substitute against City.
Al Hilal predicted lineup vs Fluminense (4-3-3)
Coach: Simone Inzaghi
Bounou; Joao Cancelo, Al-Harbi, Koulibaly, Renan Lodi; Nasser Al-Dawsari, Ruben Neves, Milinkovic-Savic; Malcom, Marcos Leonardo, Kanno
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Every single match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is shown live for free on DAZN. By signing up for the free account on DAZN, you can stream Fluminense’s quarter-final tie against Al Hilal on the website or through the app on your smart TV or games console.
Head-to-Head record
This will be the first time that Fluminense and Al Hilal have met each other, but it will be the fifth time between clubs from these two nations. Al Hilal lost to Brazilian giants Flamengo in the semi-finals of the 2019 CWC, three years before defeating them in the 2022 semis.
Both teams are on hot, unbeaten streaks. Fluminense’s win over Internazionale in the round of 16 extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 matches (W7, D3). In five of their last six matches in all competitions, including two against European opponents, the Brazilians have kept clean sheets, showing their tightness at the back.
Al-Hilal are unbeaten in nine straight matches (W6, D3) in all competitions dating back to the beginning of May. A big part of that is goalkeeper Yassine Bounou’s form, with the Moroccan shot-stopper having saved 85% of the shots on target he has faced at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Odds for Fluminense vs Al Hilal
The bookmakers think this match will be close. Bet365 have Al Hilal as slight favourites at 6/4, and Fluminense are just behind them at 17/10. A draw in normal time is at 5/2.
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.