From Underdogs to Unstoppable: Fluminense Keep Club World Cup Dream Alive

In a gripping FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal clash in Orlando, Florida, Brazilian side Fluminense edged past Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal 2-1, booking a place in the semifinals thanks to a second-half winner from substitute Hercules, his second goal in as many appearances off the bench.

Against the odds, Fluminense, seen by many as outsiders in this tournament, struck the first blow in the game on Friday, July 4, 2025.

Midfielder Matheus Martinelli opened the scoring in the 40th minute with a moment of brilliance that ignited the pro-Brazilian crowd.

Collecting a pass from Gabriel Fuentes, Martinelli’s exquisite first touch glided past a rushing Al Hilal defender before he unleashed a thunderous left-footed strike into the top right corner, leaving veteran goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with no chance.

Al Hilal nearly responded before the break when Kalidou Koulibaly’s towering header forced a diving save from Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio, who managed to palm the ball wide in first-half stoppage time.

Six minutes into the second half, the Saudi side finally found their equalizer.

Koulibaly once again rose high to meet a corner, this time directing his header into the path of striker Marcus Leonardo.

With composure and quick footwork, Leonardo slotted the ball through a crowd of defenders and past Fabio, notching his fourth goal of the tournament.

Fluminense, however, remained undeterred.

Their response came in the 70th minute through Hercules, once again proving to be a game-changer off the bench.

After his initial long-range effort was deflected into the air, he pressed forward.

As Samuel Xavier battled for the aerial rebound, the ball fell kindly to Hercules.

With a deft first touch, he set himself up and calmly buried a low right-footed shot into the bottom left corner, sparking wild celebrations in the stands.

“I told him to keep doing what he does best,” Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi said post-match when asked about Hercules.

“I knew he’d get his moment—and when it came, he didn’t waste it.”

Al Hilal pushed hard in the dying minutes but couldn’t carve out a clear opportunity.

Fluminense’s back line, anchored by a composed Fabio in goal, held firm to secure a memorable victory in what was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

The result ends Al Hilal’s impressive run, which included a shocking 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City in the previous round, a win many saw as the tournament’s biggest upset.

Leonardo’s consistent scoring form and Koulibaly’s dominant aerial presence were not enough to see the Saudi side through.

The match was played under a shadow of sorrow, particularly for Al Hilal’s Portuguese players.

Just a day before, it was announced that Portuguese international and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota had tragically lost his brother, Andre Silva, in a car accident in Spain.

A pre-match moment of silence honored the deceased, during which television cameras captured emotional scenes as Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, Jota’s national teammates, stood in tears.

Despite the heavy emotional burden, both Neves and Cancelo delivered professional performances, though the heartbreak was evident throughout the match.

Fluminense now advances to the semifinals, where they await the winner of the other quarterfinal between Chelsea and fellow Brazilian club Palmeiras.

For a team written off by many before the tournament began, they’re now just one win away from the final—and continuing a fairy tale few saw coming.

“It was always going to be a difficult match,” Portaluppi said.

“But my players showed heart, discipline, and belief. I couldn’t be prouder.”

As the Club World Cup drama unfolds, Fluminense’s story is fast becoming one of resilience, belief, and unlikely heroes, none bigger, perhaps, than Hercules, the man from the bench who continues to deliver when it matters most.

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