5 things we learned from Al-Hilal’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at FIFA Club World Cup

5 things we learned from Al-Hilal’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at FIFA Club World Cup
Yassine Bounou's stoppage time penalty save from Federico Valverde secured a 1-1 draw for Al-Hilal against Real Madrid. (X/@Alhilal_EN)
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Updated 19 June 2025
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5 things we learned from Al-Hilal’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at FIFA Club World Cup

5 things we learned from Al-Hilal’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at FIFA Club World Cup
  • Bounou and Al-Dawsari dazzle as Inzaghi puts Saudi and Arab talent in the spotlight at Hard Rock Stadium

WASHINGTON D.C.: Nineteen-time Saudi Arabian champions Al-Hilal held European giants Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in their opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup in Miami on Wednesday night as Ruben Neves’ penalty cancelled out Gonzalo Garcia’s opener.

Impressively dominant for much of the first half, Hilal were in the end grateful to goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who saved an added time penalty from Federico Valverde to secure a point.

Bono puts in star turn inside the Hard Rock

With the name “BONO” on his back, Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was destined to put in a star turn inside the Hard Rock Stadium.

Not to be confused with the U2 singer, Bounou was relatively quiet in the first-half as Hilal peppered the goal of his opposite number, Thibaut Courtois, with 11 shots.

Blameless for Gonzalo Garcia’s first-half goal, which ricocheted off the Madrid player’s own planted foot to bobble up and over the diving Moroccan, Bounou was called into action more regularly in the second half.

Vini Jr found more space on the left, substitute Arda Guler danced dangerously around midfield, and Gonzalo Garcia forced a pair of smart saves.

Yet it was in injury-time that Bounou took center stage. The 34-year-old, who came close to joining Madrid before making the move to Hilal from Sevilla in August 2023, produced a rock star penalty save fitting of the setting.

This ensured the 2021 AFC Asian champions held on to what could be a crucial point in their quest to progress through Group H. 

Al-Dawsari within millimeters of reproducing big stage heroics

Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari was already the talk of the Spanish-speaking media before the match kicked off in Miami as they seemed to realize who the No. 29 was.

The forward had etched his name into the annals of global football at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar when he scored the winning goal against eventual winners Argentina, handing Messi and company their only defeat of the tournament.

He has Club World Cup pedigree too, having netted three goals across two semifinals in 2019 and 2022. Could he — would he — do it again?

A constant threat on the left side of Hilal’s attack, the 33-year-old repeatedly exploited the space behind Madrid new boy Trent Alexander-Arnold.

On the stroke of half-time, just minutes after Neves had equalized, he came within millimeters of replicating his World Cup feat.

He drove at the Madrid defense, played a cute combo with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and fired at goal only to see his curling effort nick a white boot and bend the wrong side of the far post. It deserved more, and so did Al-Dawsari, who was at the heart of all Hilal’s attacks in the first half.

Inzaghi ‘completely satisfied’ following ‘wonderful performance’

While Madrid’s new coach Xabi Alonso seemed content at times to sit in his dugout and let his players do what was asked, Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi, also leading out his new club for the first time, instead appeared to be a constant ball of tension as he tried to drill messages into his players.

The Italian led Inter Milan to two UEFA Champions League finals in three years, but has barely unpacked in Riyadh since replacing the departing Jorge Jesus.

He already finds himself in the midst of a continental tournament where his club, as the sole representative of a league and country changing the face of global football, is under huge scrutiny.

Yet he said post-match he could not have asked for more from his players.

Praising them for their “high organization and wonderful performance,” Inzaghi said he was “completely satisfied.”

Fullback Joao Cancelo joked he was not quite as content: “We know Italian coaches are very tactical. He has different ideas to Jesus, very good ideas, but we have run too much in training — too much.”

Arab talent gets its chance to shine

While Inzaghi’s first Hilal lineup included only three Saudi Arabia nationals — and notably only one less than the Madrid team had Spaniards — he was not afraid to trust them in the later stages of the tie, even as they tried to stem a flow of attacks from Los Blancos.

And while it was Mohammed Al-Qahtani who was harshly adjudged to have fouled Garcia for Madrid’s injury time penalty, when the final whistle blew, seven Saudi players were on the field — a fact not lost on Hilal forward Malcom.

“Al-Hilal is the biggest team in Asia and we are very happy to have the best Arab players in our squad,” the Brazilian told Arab News.

“They have a very high level and that is what makes the biggest difference when we play in our domestic championships. They have a lot of quality, so it is easy to trust them.”

Inzaghi saved special mention for his three starters: captain Al-Dawsari, Hassan Tambakti, and Nasser Al-Dawsari, revealing he only told them they would play three days earlier.

“They bring great value to the team,” the coach said. “Arab players possess quality and they proved that today.”

Fans turn South Beach blue

Hilal fans may have been vastly outnumbered amid the 62,415 fans inside the Hard Rock Stadium, but in South Beach at least, the Saudi club’s azure blue has been as inescapable as the Miami heat this week.

Set up next to a hookah bar on the bustling pedestrianized Lincoln Road, an interactive fan fest complete with immersive virtual reality shooting drills and a reactive rondo testing ball control, proved such a hit that organizers ran out of flags and other prizes.

Even the local sportswear shops felt obliged to apologize for selling out of Hilal merchandise.

Once the action got underway, 15-time European champions Madrid — unsurprisingly one of the best supported teams in a city where Spanish at times feels like the first language — enjoyed the lion’s share of support.

Hilal though were not without their moments.

Chants of “Heeeeeeelal” went round the ground sporadically, while Neves’ equalizer shortly before half-time saw the little blue pockets of fans erupt in song to share a little Riyadhi vibe to proceedings.

Hala Hilal, indeed. 


Players forced to give up vacation to play Club World Cup, says Raphinha

Updated 17 sec ago
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Players forced to give up vacation to play Club World Cup, says Raphinha

Players forced to give up vacation to play Club World Cup, says Raphinha
Raphinha said: “Marquinhos and Beraldo, from Paris St. Germain, won the Champions League and didn’t even get to celebrate properly”
“If PSG reach the Club World Cup final, they will have the Super Cup right away. It doesn’t stop“

BARCELONA: Brazil’s Barcelona forward Raphinha regretted that the players were not consulted about extending their season to play at the Club World Cup, adding that nobody should be obliged to give up their vacation time.

The first expanded edition of the Club World Cup started on June 14 and will run until July 13. The competition followed the European league season which concluded in late May and an international window at the beginning of June.

“Speaking particularly as someone who plays for a European team, we would (currently) be on vacation,” Raphinha said.

“Marquinhos and Beraldo, from Paris St. Germain, won the Champions League and didn’t even get to celebrate properly. They came to the national team and then went to the Club World Cup. They still haven’t stopped.

“Many say that this is an excuse. It may or may not be, but having to give up our vacations out of obligation is very complicated. It’s our right. Everyone deserves at least a month of vacation. And many of them won’t get it.”

Most of the major European leagues will be back in action in mid to late August, with the pre-seasons starting early in the month.

“If PSG reach the Club World Cup final, they will have the Super Cup right away. It doesn’t stop,” Raphinha added.

“It depends on your point of view. From my point of view, it’s very bad to give up your vacation to play something that you are forced to do. At no point did they ask the players if they wanted to.

“It (should be) up to us to accept it. Having to give up your vacation to play in a new tournament is very complicated.”

PSG will face Tottenham Hotspur for the Super Cup on August 13.

Norris bounces back as McLaren take 1-2 in Austrian practice

Norris bounces back as McLaren take 1-2 in Austrian practice
Updated 54 min 53 sec ago
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Norris bounces back as McLaren take 1-2 in Austrian practice

Norris bounces back as McLaren take 1-2 in Austrian practice
  • Norris clocked a best lap in one minute and 4.580 seconds to beat Piastri by 0.157 seconds
  • Four-time champion Max Verstappen was third fastest for Red Bull, adrift by 0.318 seconds

SPIELBERG BEI KNITTELFELD, Austria: Lando Norris bounced back from his Canadian catastrophe with his customary smile on Friday after topping the times ahead of team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri as McLaren reeled off a solid 1-2 in practice at the Austrian Grand Prix.

As the paddock digested news that Mercedes had held talks about possibly signing Max Verstappen from Red Bull alongside George Russell in 2026 Norris clocked a best lap in one minute and 4.580 seconds to beat Piastri by 0.157 seconds.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen was third fastest for Red Bull, adrift by 0.318 seconds.

For Norris, who sat out the first session at the Red Bull Ring, it was a relief to move on from his collision with team-mate Piastri in Montreal where he retired pointless, admitting he had “made a fool of myself.”

“I didn’t mind sitting on the pit wall,” he said, with a grin, referring to missing the morning session.

“I actually felt a lot more relaxed there than in the car, especially here.

“I’ve always enjoyed this track. The car felt good right from the start. Alex (Dunne, reserve driver) gave solid feedback this morning after FP1 and was on pace straight away, which was encouraging to see.”

Norris added that he was pleased with the development of the car with McLaren’s latest upgrades.

“They definitely moved the car in the right direction for FP2,” he said.

“Now, we just need to figure out if we want more of that tomorrow, less, or somewhere in between.

“So, it’s a good step forward, but hopefully there’s still a bit more to come.”

McLaren came to the Styrian Alps with three performance-based updates including aerodynamic revisions of the front and rear of the car and suspension.

Piastri, who leads Norris by 22 points in the title race, said he was satisfied with his first day in the car.

“It looked pretty good,” he said.

“Max is still close, so I think he’ll definitely be a threat this weekend, but the car’s feeling good. I think the pace is quite good, so a positive first day.”

He added that both he and Norris had “all the parts that we think will make the car faster” on their cars.

Verstappen, who took his time to improve through the sessions, said: “We didn’t have any big issues.

“We lack a bit of pace and had too much understeer, both on the short and the long run. So that is something we have to try to get rid of.”

Lance Stroll was fourth for Aston Martin ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, George Russell of Mercedes, who won last year and two weeks ago in Canada, and Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull.

Gabriel Bortoleto was eighth for Sauber ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, struggling in his updated Ferrari.

Norris added: “We’ve shown a bit more pace than some others, so I certainly think they’re going to catch up. Max is not far behind and they normally improve a lot on Saturday.

“So I expect a good day tomorrow (Saturday) and I’m sure we’ll improve on some things, but it’s not as easy as maybe it looked.

“I think it’s still going to be tight tomorrow — it always is. There’s no reason for it not to be, but we’ll work hard to make it as big of a gap as possible.”


Twisted Minds top cross-game leaderboard after 19 Saudi eLeague tournaments

Twisted Minds top cross-game leaderboard after 19 Saudi eLeague tournaments
Updated 27 June 2025
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Twisted Minds top cross-game leaderboard after 19 Saudi eLeague tournaments

Twisted Minds top cross-game leaderboard after 19 Saudi eLeague tournaments
  • More than 40 clubs have competed across 14 titles in the Elite category and 5 in the Women’s division
  • With the league now at its halfway point, every point earned is a step closer to final success

RIYADH: Twisted Minds are top of the Saudi eLeagues, the Kingdom’s premier esports league, following 19 tournaments in the season so far.

Organized by the Saudi Esports Federation and hosted at the SEF Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City, the league brings together Saudi Arabia’s top esports clubs competing across multiple games and divisions.

So far, more than 40 clubs have competed across a total of 19 tournaments — 14 in the Elite category and five in the Women’s division — in the race for points on the coveted Clubs Cross-Game Leaderboard. These points will also determine which teams secure spots in the championship, the league’s marquee event where the best teams will clash for the ultimate title and a share of the SR7 million ($1.87 million) prize pool.

As the dust settles on the first phase of the season, the leaderboard is beginning to take shape:
• Twisted Minds, last year’s cross-game champions, remain unshaken at the top with an impressive 912 points. Their dominance across multiple titles continues to set the standard for consistency and excellence.
• Team Falcons hold second place with 705 points, delivering solid performances across major titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Valorant, proving their resilience as perennial contenders.
• Al-Qadsiah Esports, the breakout team of the season, sit third with 618 points. With standout victories in both the men’s and women’s brackets, they are proving a force to be reckoned with.

Each tournament has added its own narrative to the Saudi eLeague, from Overwatch 2, VALORANT and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to EA SPORTS FC 25 and battleground drama in PUBG and PUBG MOBILE.

Meanwhile, the Women’s division has delivered some of the league’s most inspiring moments, highlighting the rising skill level and growing depth of talent in Saudi Arabia’s esports scene.

With the league now at its halfway point, every point earned is a step closer to final success. Twisted Minds may sit top for now, but with Team Falcons and Al-Qadsiah Esports breathing down their necks, the race will continue apace.

“The halfway point of this year’s Saudi eLeagues highlights just how extraordinary and competitive this season has been,” said Abdullah Alnasser, head of esports products at the Saudi Esports Federation.

“What sets this year apart from previous seasons is the sheer intensity and depth of competition across all categories. From the Elite tournaments to the Women’s division, we’ve witnessed remarkable growth — not just in the number of clubs participating, but in the level of skill, strategy and determination on display.

“The race for the top is far from over, and every match continues to push the boundaries of what our players and teams can achieve. This season is shaping up to be something truly special, a milestone moment for Saudi esports that reflects the incredible progress of our scene.”


Messi’s PSG reunion, Real Madrid face Juventus in Club World Cup last 16

Messi’s PSG reunion, Real Madrid face Juventus in Club World Cup last 16
Updated 27 June 2025
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Messi’s PSG reunion, Real Madrid face Juventus in Club World Cup last 16

Messi’s PSG reunion, Real Madrid face Juventus in Club World Cup last 16
  • Botafogo are the reigning Brazilian and South American champions
  • Highly rated Flamengo coach Filipe Luis has his work cut out to keep Bayern at bay

PHILADELPHIA: From Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi facing former side Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid meeting Juventus and Chelsea taking on Benfica, AFP Sport looks ahead to the Club World Cup last 16.

Saturday, June 28, in Philadelphia (1600 GMT)
All four Brazilian representatives reached the last 16 and at least one will be in the quarter-finals, as Palmeiras and Botafogo face each other.

Botafogo are the reigning Brazilian and South American champions and beat European champions PSG on the way to qualifying from their group at Atletico Madrid’s expense.

Sao Paulo side Palmeiras — featuring Brazil prodigy and future Chelsea winger Estevao Willian — won their group and are above Botafogo in the Brazilian league. However, Botafogo are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Palmeiras, including the two legs of a Copa Libertadores last-16 tie last year.

Saturday, June 28, in Charlotte (2000 GMT)
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea finished second in their group but avoided a strong Bayern Munich side by doing so, pitting them against Benfica. The Portuguese powerhouses, who boast veteran playmaker Angel Di Maria, edged the German giants in their final group game.

Benfica will believe they can upset their inconsistent Premier League opposition and former Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez. New Chelsea striker Liam Delap is looking to continue adding to his tally after getting off the mark in the group stage.

Sunday, June 29, in Atlanta (1600 GMT)
Messi’s Inter Miami were a surprise package in the group stage, beating Porto on their way to progressing to the last 16, but a late collapse against Palmeiras meant they finished second and must face the Argentine playmaker’s former side PSG.

This season PSG ended a long wait to win the Champions League for the first time and Luis Enrique’s side are expected to vanquish their MLS opponents, but Botafogo beat them in the group stage to prove they are not untouchable.

Sunday, June 29, in Miami (2000 GMT)
Brazilian side Flamengo stunned Chelsea in the group phase to claim top spot but must overcome the might of Vincent Kompany’s Bayern if they are to progress.

With Harry Kane, Michael Olize and a Thomas Mueller looking to end his time at Bayern with a new trophy, the possession-hungry Bundesliga giants have as much firepower as anyone left in the tournament.

Highly rated Flamengo coach Filipe Luis has his work cut out to keep Bayern at bay.

Monday, June 30, in Charlotte (1900 GMT)
Recent runners-up in the Champions League, Inter ground out wins over Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate to finish top of their group and will now hope to avoid becoming the latest European team to stumble against Brazilian opposition.

Fluminense, of Rio, held Borussia Dortmund en route to qualifying for this stage and will be full of motivation to claim a major scalp against Cristian Chivu’s side.

Monday, June 30, in Orlando (0100 Tuesday, July 1)
City come into the knockout phase in ominous form after being the only team at the tournament to win all three group games.

They have scored 11 times in their last two matches, with a 5-2 destruction of Juventus coming after they put six past Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.

A game against Al Hilal, the 2021 Asian champions, will give City no reason to be afraid, even if the Saudi club boast numerous former stars of leading European leagues, including Joao Cancelo.

Tuesday, July 1, in Miami (1900)
This is a clash between two traditional European titans who have met 21 times before. There have been two Champions League finals between the clubs, both won by Real.

A 5-2 defeat for Juventus against Manchester City suggests they may find the going tough against Madrid.

Real are adapting to life under a new coach in Xabi Alonso, who experimented with a three-man defense against Salzburg. He will hope to have Kylian Mbappe back after the Frenchman missed the group stage with illness.

Tuesday, July 1, in Atlanta (0100 Wednesday, July 2)
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has not held back on expressing his feelings about having to play in extreme heat at the tournament so he will be happy the game against Mexican side Monterrey is at the covered and air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Despite their complaints Dortmund have grown into the tournament. They face former Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos and a Monterrey team that has impressed, notably a creditable draw against Inter Milan.


Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull’s home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty

Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull’s home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty
Updated 27 June 2025
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Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull’s home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty

Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull’s home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty
  • The defending Formula 1 champion has an upgraded car for his team’s home race in Austria
  • Verstappen remains at risk of a one-race ban for too many penalty points

VIENNA: Max Verstappen at the Red Bull Ring is usually a recipe for success.

The defending Formula 1 champion has an upgraded car for his team’s home race in Austria — where he’s won five times — on the back of an encouraging second place in Canada, where his two McLaren rivals collided.

Zoom out, though, and the situation is much more uncertain.

Verstappen remains at risk of a one-race ban for too many penalty points, Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda is usually too far adrift to help him, and Verstappen’s own future is far from clear.

“I don’t think we need to talk about that,” Verstappen said Thursday when asked to confirm whether he’ll stay with the team for 2026. “It’s not really in my mind. It’s just driving and trying to push the performance, you know. And then we focus on next year.”

Fast in Friday practice
Red Bull’s upgrades seemed to work well in Verstappen’s first outing in Friday practice. He was second-fastest, 0.065 of a second off George Russell for Mercedes.

Standings leader Oscar Piastri was third-fastest for McLaren, .155 off the pace, but the star of the session was young driver Alex Dunne, who took over Lando Norris’ McLaren for the session and placed fourth.

Lewis Hamilton was ninth-fastest for Ferrari and Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda only 17th.

What are Verstappen’s options?
Verstappen has a long-term contract through 2028, so in theory his Red Bull seat should be one of the safest on the grid. However, the deal has performance-related clauses which could reportedly allow a move.

In that case, the most obvious option could be Mercedes, which has yet to confirm either driver for 2026. That would mean Verstappen teaming up with an old foe in Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who’d also have to choose to drop either Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Dramatic changes to how F1 cars look and perform are coming in 2026, and Red Bull has to adapt more than most.

For the first time in nearly two decades, it heads into a new era of F1 rules without design guru Adrian Newey, who left last year and is now at Aston Martin.

The other leading teams are sticking with their current engine arrangements, but not Red Bull. The team has an in-house engine developer, Red Bull Powertrains, but it’s switching partners for 2026 from Honda to newcomer Ford.

The second seat
No team in F1 depends as much on one driver as Red Bull does on Verstappen. He’s scored 155 of the team’s 162 points this season.

His teammates — first Liam Lawson, then Tsunoda — have struggled all season. That’s helped to restore the reputation of Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Red Bull after scoring barely one-third of Verstappen’s points last season.

“I know, deep down, they really regret it,” Perez said on a podcast this week. “And I know that from a very reliable source. It’s tough. I have very good friends there, and people might think I take pleasure in what happened, but no.”

Red Bull’s car seems to favor Verstappen’s driving style over anyone else’s, but the Dutch driver says he can’t diagnose the issue because he’s been with the team since 2016 and has nothing else to compare it with.

“The thing is that I don’t know any better, right?” he said Thursday. “I mean, I’ve basically started with Red bull, so I only know one car and that’s how I drive. I adapt to it. Is it the best? Is it the fastest? Is it not? I don’t know.”