WASHINGTON — Al Hilal kept their Round of 16 hopes alive in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Austrian champions Salzburg on Sunday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The result leaves the Saudi side third in Group H with two points, following an opening 1-1 draw against Real Madrid. Salzburg and Real Madrid top the group with four points each after Los Blancos defeated Mexico's Pachuca 3-1. Al Hilal must now beat Pachuca in their final group game on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. A win, coupled with a victory for either Real Madrid or Salzburg in their meeting, would send Al Hilal through to the knockout stage. A draw between Madrid and Salzburg would still allow Hilal to qualify—provided they win by at least a two-goal margin. Newly appointed head coach Simone Inzaghi described the clash against Salzburg as "decisive," but admitted after the game that his team lacked the edge needed to claim all three points. The Austrian side saw their four-match winning streak come to an end but remained unbeaten in the group. Al Hilal started brightly, with Joao Cancelo firing just wide in the third minute and Salem Al Dawsari testing Salzburg goalkeeper Christian Tzavischitzky moments later. Moroccan shot-stopper Yassine Bounou was called into action at the other end, tipping a powerful effort from Karim Onisiwo over the bar. Marcos Leonardo came closest to opening the scoring for Al Hilal in the 22nd minute, but his effort was blocked heroically by Danish defender Jacob Rasmussen. The second half saw a major scare for Al Hilal as Salzburg substitute John Mellberg forced a brilliant save from Bounou before Dorgeles Nene's rebound was cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly in the 48th minute. Al Hilal responded with long-range attempts from Ruben Neves and Cancelo, both denied by the alert Salzburg keeper. Malcolm missed a golden opportunity in the 57th minute after a slick exchange with Al Dawsari, but his shot deflected off a defender for a corner. Sergej Milinković-Savić tried his luck with a late strike from distance, only for Tzavischitzky to collect cleanly, while substitute Yorbe Vertessen nearly stole the win for Salzburg with a curling shot that grazed the post. With fan support strong in the stands, Al Hilal head into their final group match knowing only victory will keep their tournament dreams alive.
