Fluminense and Al Hilal will face off in Orlando for a spot in the semifinals of the Club World Cup

The Club World Cup is set for an electrifying quarterfinal clash between Fluminense and Al-Hilal, marking their first-ever international encounter in Orlando, Florida.

Fluminense stunned the football world with their unexpected 2-0 victory over Inter Milan at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with Germán Cano scoring the opening goal within the first three minutes and Hércules sealing the win for Fluminense in the 93rd minute.

Al-Hilal pulled off a stunning upset against Manchester City in a nail-biting round of 16 match that ended 4-3, sending the European giants packing. After a tense regular time, where both teams fought hard to maintain their leads, it was Al-Hilal who ultimately triumphed in extra time. Marcos Leonardo’s goal in the 112th minute clinched the victory and propelled Al-Hilal to the next round.

Fluminense vs. Al Hilal predicted lineups, team news

Fluminense will be missing a key piece of their defensive unit for this historic quarter-final, as left-back René is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament during their shock win over Inter.

Manager Renato Gaúcho must reshuffle his back line as a result, while the absence of midfielder Otávio, ruled out for the season with an Achilles injury, further limits Flu’s depth. Martinelli is also a doubt, though the Brazilian side will be buoyed by the form of Germán Cano, who has emerged as their talisman with crucial goals in recent matches.

Fluminense predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Fabio (GK) — Xavier, Silva, Freytes, Fuentes — Martinelli, Hercules — Arias, Nonato, Canobbio — Cano.

For Al-Hilal, the dramatic win over Manchester City came at a cost, with influential captain Salem Al-Dawsari sidelined for the rest of the Club World Cup due to a hamstring injury. However, there was a boost as Musab Al Juwayr made his return from a knee issue to feature as a late substitute against City, adding an extra midfield option for Simone Inzaghi.

The Saudi champions still face significant injury problems, with star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and defenders Hassan Al Tambakti and Suhayb Al Zaid unavailable, forcing Inzaghi to lean on squad depth as they aim to continue their fairytale run.

Al Hilal predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Bounou (GK) — Cancelo, Al-Harbi, Koulibaly, Lodi — N. Al-Dawsari, Neves, Savic — Malcom, Leonardo, Kanno.