Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praised Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, considering him one of the main reasons behind the biggest upset of the Club World Cup, the English club’s elimination in the round of 16.
The Moroccan international made 10 crucial saves that contributed to Al Hilal’s 4-3 victory over City and their progress to the quarter-finals, making the Saudi club the first Arab and Asian club to defeat a European team.
Bounou’s brilliance wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment performance; the Moroccan goalkeeper also excelled in the group stage, and he played a key role in Al Hilal’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid after saving a last-minute penalty kick from Fede Valverde.
Lodi: We took a lot of money and we beat Manchester City too!
Guardiola: Proud of Manchester City despite early exit
After the match, Guardiola spoke to the media, disappointed, saying, “Unfortunately, at this stage, every match becomes difficult.”
He added, “I think we were generally good throughout the match and missed a lot of chances, but we allowed them to create counterattacks.”
He continued, “We were in a very good position, and to go out like this is very unfortunate. I can only thank the team, even though that won’t be enough compared to what they did. They did everything in training and matches.”
He concluded, “We created many, many chances, but Bounou made many amazing saves. I have nothing else to say about the match.”
Rayan Cherki with Pep Guardiola at full-time. 💔 pic.twitter.com/Hoh72oywmI
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) July 1, 2025
Inzaghi: Bounou is amazing
The praise for Bounou wasn’t limited to the opposing coach, Guardiola. Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi also praised the 32-year-old’s performance, calling him “amazing.”
The Italian said after the match, “Bounou had an amazing tournament and shone brightly in this match. In general, all our players had an amazing tournament, especially Nasser Al-Dossari, who was fantastic, and Sergej Savic, who excelled with the ball. Lodi, Neves, Cancelo, and Marcos Leonardo also shone.”
Regarding the significance of the victory over Manchester City, Inzaghi said, “It was like climbing a mountain without oxygen, but the credit goes to the players who fought and played with heart.”
He concluded, “I am very happy that we made the entire Saudi Arabian fans happy. I thank the staff who have been with me for 10 years, and they succeeded in doing an amazing job in a short period of time, both technically and tactically.”
Al-Hilal ends Guardiola’s legend in the Club World Cup!
Al Hilal to face Fluminense in the quarter-finals
After defeating Manchester City, Al Hilal faces another difficult task when they face Brazilian side Fluminense, who surprised everyone with a historic 2-0 victory over Inter Milan in the round of 16.
The Club World Cup quarter-final match between Al Hilal and Fluminense will take place next Friday, July 4, 2025, at 10:00 PM Mecca time, at Camping World Stadium.
