RABAT: Al-Hilal will have to wait to be world champions after losing 5-3 to Real Madrid in an entertaining final of the FIFA Club World Cup in Rabat on Saturday but they return to Riyadh with their heads held high and Saudi Arabian’s reputation enhanced.
It was always going to be tough to defeat the star-studded European champions and so it proved but losing to the most successful team in the history of the sport is no disgrace especially when you score three goals.
In the 4-1 win over Al-Ahly of Egypt three days previously, the Spanish superclub had looked vulnerable at the back and so it was again as Al-Hilal caused plenty of problems.
At the other end of the pitch however, it was a different matter however as Carlo Ancelotti’s men quickly found their rhythm and just had too much quality.