Man City eliminated from Club World Cup after dramatic loss to Al Hilal

Pep Guardiola faces a challenging moment as Manchester City exits the 2025 Club World Cup following a dramatic defeat against Al Hilal, as reported by Marca.

The Citizens — had to acknowledge the Asian representative’s superiority with a 3-4 score after the match went into extra time. Both teams previously played to a 2-2 draw in regular time.

A controversial incident occurred in the closing moments of injury time — when Jeremy Doku fell while attempting to dribble past two Al Hilal defenders. Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela decided there was no foul, despite the City winger being upended after contact with opposing players.

This defeat caps off a difficult season for Pep Guardiola and his squad, which Spanish media Marca dubbed as ‘annus horribilis’ or horrible year.