Al-Hilal defeat Pachuca 2-0, advance to Club World Cup knockout phase

Al-Hilal advance to the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup. (AP)
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Updated 27 June 2025
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Al-Hilal defeat Pachuca 2-0, advance to Club World Cup knockout phase

Salem Al-Dawsari scored a fancy goal in the 22nd minute, Marcos Leonardo added a clincher in second-half stoppage time and Al-Hilal defeated CF Pachuca 2-0 on Thursday in Nashville to advance to the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Al-Hilal (1-0-2, 5 points), the most successful club in Saudi Arabia, did not take a loss in Group H play after drawing with Real Madrid and RB Salzburg. Their win vaulted them past Salzburg, who finished with four points after losing 3-0 to Real Madrid on Thursday night.

Yassine Bounou made two saves for Al-Hilal, who will face Group H winners Manchester City in the Round of 16 on Monday in Orlando. Meanwhile, Pachuca (0-3-0, 0 points) will return to Mexico without a point in the tournament.

For the opening goal, Salem Al-Dawsari received a pass over the top from Nasser Al-Dawsari (no relation) and popped a high-arching right-footed shot over Pachuca goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado. The shot bounced into the far corner of the goal.

After Bounou fell on top of a Pachuca chance in the 81st minute, Leonardo put the game out of reach with a goal assisted by Ruben Neves five minutes into second-half stoppage time.


Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Updated 16 February 2026
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Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added ‌another crown to his collection on Sunday by becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after ​a comeback win over Fabiano Caruana in Germany.
The chess master secured the title with a cautious draw in the fourth and final game, clinching a 2.5–1.5 match victory against his 33-year-old American opponent in Weissenhaus.
Sunday’s turning point came in the thrilling third game, in ‌which Carlsen, ‌35, pulled off a stunning ​win ‌from ⁠a ​seemingly lost ⁠position, swinging the entire contest in his favor.
The world number one only needed a draw in the decisive fourth game, and that’s exactly what he got in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late opportunities to mount a ⁠comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world ‌titles in various formats.

 

The ‌World Championship marked a breakthrough ​collaboration between FIDE and ‌private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first ‌officially recognized title in this format.
Carlsen had previously failed to capture the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly sweet for the chess great.
In ‌the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, securing ⁠his spot ⁠by drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
The tournament’s lower placings saw Hans Niemann of the United States take fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov for seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s ​Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over ​Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final encounter ended in a draw.