The Club World Cup is producing high drama, as Al Hilal pulled off a shock draw with Real Madrid thanks to heroics from a familiar face.
Longtime La Liga goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved a VAR-awarded penalty in stoppage time to keep the score 1-1 and secure a point for his Saudi-based club on Wednesday.
Real took a first-half lead through 21-year-old Goncalo Garcia but Ruben Neves converted a penalty for Al Hilal before halftime and neither team could score in the second half at Hard Rock Stadium.
MORE — Club World Cup schedule, tables
The stoppage-time deadlock looked set to be broken when Mohammed Hamad Al Qahtani’s careless flailing arm in the 18 caught chasing Fran Garcia in the face.
VAR saw the foul, as replays saw Al Qahtani look back for Garcia before swinging his arm toward the player.
That’s when Bounou, the Quebec-born Moroccan international read Fede Valverde’s penalty low and to his right, making the save.
Bounou, coincidentally began his career in the academy of fellow CWC participant Wydad AC, who fell 2-0 to Man City on Wednesday. He spent time on the books at Atletico Madrid, also playing for Real Zaragoza, Sevilla, and Girona.
Al Hilal boast several big names Including Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Joao Cancelo, and Neves. They’re in the group with Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg.
Rough debut for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Xabi Alonso; Dean Huijsen impresses
Real boss Xabi Alonso will feel his team should’ve collected all three points even before the penalty, but this was hardly a great performance.
Real was without the ill Kylian Mbappe and the club is still without a bunch of star defenders including Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Ferland Mendy (plus defensive midfielder Eduardo Camavinga).
But they kept the ball at 52 percent and fired off 19 shots to pile up 2.63 xG. Unfortunately Al Hilal were up for the occasion and had more than a little luck trying the side defended by Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was still happy to put on the famous all-white kit.
“Incredible day to have made a debut for Real Madrid,” he said after the game. “It’s something almost every player dreams of. Of course there’s some disappointment too. The mentality of a Real Madrid is to expect to win every game.”
The ex-Liverpool man, however, was quite good going forward with 12 passes into the final third.
Bournemouth export Dean Huijsen was solid for Real, passing at 87 percent and winning all six of his ground duels (via fotmob.com)
Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou saves Real Madrid penalty at Club World Cup (video)
90+1' THIS IS INSANE! Penalty to @realmadrid, Valverde from the spot and Bono SAVES IT! We are still level in Miami! 😮
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 18, 2025
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 - July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #RMAHIL pic.twitter.com/CpwOek3yWy
