Real Madrid vs Al Hilal final score, highlights and analysis as Los Blancos win record fifth FIFA Club World Cup

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Dom Farrell
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Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde each scored braces as Real Madrid claimed their fifth FIFA Club World Cup with an entertaining 5-3 win over Al Hilal.

Respective goals from the Brazil and Uruguay internationals inside the opening 20 minutes threatened to turn the game at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium into a procession, but former Porto striker Moussa Marega hit back for Ramon Diaz's side.

Vinicius produced a glorious assist for the returning Karim Benzema and Valverde exchanged passes with Dani Carvajal for his second before the hour.

Ex-Atletico Madrid forward Luciano Vietto dispatched a dinked finish to keep Al Hilal in touch and scored again to make it 5-3 after Vinicius combined with substitute Dani Ceballos for his second. But Ancelotti's men rode a couple of late rocky moments to prevail as expected.

Real Madrid vs Al Hilal final score

  1H 2H Final
Real Madrid 2 3 5
Al Hilal 1 2 3

Goals:

RMA — Vinicius Junior (Karim Benzema) — 13th min.
RMA — Federico Valverde — 18th min.
ALH — Moussa Marega (Mohammed Kanno) — 25th min.
RMA — Karim Benzema (Vinicius Junior) — 54th min.
RMA — Federico Valverde (Dani Carvajal) — 58th min.
ALH — Luciano Vietto (Saud Abdulhamid) — 63rd min.
RMA — Vinicius Junior (Dani Ceballos) — 69th min.
ALH — Luciano Vietto (Saud Abdulhamid) — 79th min

Benzema sat out Madrid's semifinal win over Al Ahly with injury, but he was back into the swing of things with a deft first-time pass for Vinicius to open the scoring.

It was not a banner evening for defensive competence. Al Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf failed to deal with Luka Modric's low cross from the right wing and, when Jang Hyun-soo failed to clear, Valverde was on hand to lash home.

Marega caused problems for Madrid pulling into the right channel for most of the contest and the Mali international surged onto Mohammed Kanno's first-time through ball to reduce the arrears.

Benzema converting Vinicius' outside-of-the-boot cross and Valverde getting his second gave the impression of the game being finished before the hour, but Saud Abdulhamid — who toiled at right-back in the face of Vinicius' magic — came forward, exchanged passes with Marega and played in Vietto for a deserved goal.

Abdulhamid was soon back on his heels and Vinicius tormented him and ushered Ceballos out of his way to finish. Vietto turned neatly to score from close range as substitute Michael upset Madrid down their right-hand side.

That was the case again when Marega volleyed wide with the goal gaping, passing up the opportunity to set up a grandstand finale.

MORE: All-time FIFA Club World Cup winners

Vinicius Jr dazzles away from the vile racist abuse

It’s an unspeakably dire state of affairs that there has been a sense of relief watching Vinicius shine with three goals in his two Club World Cup games this week. We have been almost certain that we will be able to enjoy the talents of a beautifully gifted young footballer without the looming threat of him suffering racist abuse from the stands. This has been a sickeningly common occurrence in Spain this season, with LaLiga maddeningly weak when it comes to dishing out any kind of sanction. 

It is to Vinicius’ immense credit that he has produced the best football of his career against this backdrop, with an iron will propelling his dazzling feet. Once he returns to Spain, the authorities that have let him down so badly must start to do much more.

How many times has Europe won the Club World Cup?

Madrid’s fifth success continued a tale of utter European dominance in the Club World Cup. Brazilian clubs won each of the first three tournaments under its current format. Since then, only Corinthians’ 2012 win over Chelsea has interrupted the run of success from football’s dominant continent in the 21st century, meaning 15 of the past 16 winners have been European.

Al Hilal played their part in a very watchable game, but Madrid were injury hit and defensively slack. As enjoyable as the spectacle was, there was definitely the air of an entertaining friendly. European dominance is at the root of major imbalances in the global club game, with illustrious teams and competitions elsewhere serving the transfer whims of Champions League clubs. There are several reasons for this, but it will not be remotely addressed by the utter folly of FIFA chief Gianni Infantino proposing an expansion to a 32-team Club World Cup by 2025. 

Is Eduardo Camavinga a left-back?

At the start of November last year, Eduardo Camavinga had never played at left-back in his professional career. He then started a World Cup group game there before coming on and impressing in the position during France’s World Cup final defeat to Argentina. Having a footballer of such exquisite gifts stationed deep can add an extra dimension to a team and Camavinga was typically smooth in possession as Madrid began on the front foot in Rabat.

However, the marauding Moussa Marega gave him a bit of a going-over at times. As Ferland Mendy continues his recovery from a thigh injury, Camavinga might end up being a potential point of weakness in the Champions League last-16 games against Liverpool.

Real Madrid vs Al Hilal as it happened from the Club World Cup final

Final: Real Madrid 5-3 Al Hilal

Fulltime: Real Madrid add another trophy to their collection, a fifth Club World Cup. Al Hilal made that a very watchable spectacle by refusing to fold when they could have done but, aside from a brief period of frantic activity after Luciano Vietto's second goal, it always felt like Madrid had too much in the tank.

90th minute+6: Camavinga slips, Ighalo can't capitalise. Right now there are tired players out there, players who have not got up to the pace of the game, and Michael who has had a positive impact off the bench for Al Hilal. Madrid are almost there.

90th minute+4: I'll be honest, this hasn't been the most eventful spell of prolonged injury time. Certainly not what you'd expect at the end of a shapeless eight-goal knockabout.

90th minute: Rodrygo wriggles into the penalty area and prods wide. That really should have been that. The fourth official has signalled seven minutes of additional time. Carlo Ancelotti wears the expression of a man who's just seen a truck smash into his car and drive away.

86th minute: The game has lost all shape and structure amid all the changes and that does not seem to be suiting Real Madrid particularly well. Odion Ighalo is on for a final push. Oddly, Marega and Vietto have both come off.

81st minute: Oh my word it should be 5-4!!!! Substitute Michael, who is causing some havoc down the Madrid right, finds Luciano Vietto again. His shot is blocked at close quarters by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. The ball loops to Moussa Marega, who smashes a volley wide with the goal at his mercy.

79th minute:GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Luciano Vietto!!!

There's been a raft of substitutions over the past few minutes but Vietto is still there and capitalises upon more tepid Madrid defending to smartly spin and finish from close range.

70th minute: Federico Valverde goes in search of an unlikely hat-trick but Abdullah Al-Mayouf tips over.

69th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Vinicius Junior!!!

It continues to rain goals in Rabat. Vinicius' dancing feet perplex poor Saud Abdulhamid once again. The ball runs to Dani Ceballos, who looks like he's shaping to shoot, but Vinicius politely tells him to clear off out of the way and drills a shot into the net.

63rd minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Luciano Vietto!!!

Al Hilal won't be dissuaded, especially when it comes to that channel down the Madrid left. Of course that's where Vietto pops up to dink home a lovely finish. Game on? Maybe not, be fair play to them!

61st minute: Real Madrid were about to make a double change with Dani Ceballos and Rodrygo coming on. They still will, but Aurelien Tchouameni departs after suffering an injury. Ancelotti's men are back in LaLiga action in midweek so he'll hope that isn't too serious. Karim Benzema's work is also done.

58th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Federico Valverde!!!

Brilliant from Madrid. This time it's the wide right attacker and full-back who combine. Valverde charges forward with intent and plays a slick one-two with Dani Carvajal before dispatching an unerring finish beyond Abdullah Al-Mayouf.

54th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Karim Benzema!!!

Madrid's two-goal lead is restored as Benzema gets his goal. But this was all about Vinicius Junior, who exchanged passes with Eduardo Camavinga and then unleashed an outrageous outside-of-the-boot cross for Benzema to gleefully dispatch from close range.

52nd minute: It honestly feels like Moussa Marega has the freedom of that section of the pitch right now. An improvised backheel doesn't find its target but he's clearly a huge danger to Madrid.

49th minute: Moussa Marega is back into his work down that right channel. He cuts a ball back into the box, where Antonio Rudiger is able to use his superior bulk to usher Luciano Vietto away from the ball.

46th minute: We're back underway and there's an early half-chance for Toni Kroos, who fizzes one wide from outside the box. The German playmaker is seeking to win a sixth Club World Cup, having prevailed with Bayern Munich in 2013 before racking up four titles with Real Madrid.

Halftime: Real Madrid 2-1 Al Hilal

Halftime: Drama right before halftime as Al Hilal appeal for a penalty. Salem Al-Dawsari — you remember him, he scored Saudi Arabia's spectacular winner against Argentina in their opening game at the World Cup — went down under a challenge from Rudiger. Referee Anthony Taylor was right on the spot and he waved away the protests. Ramon Diaz's side head in for the break very much in this game. That did not look like being the case 20 minutes in. See you back here shortly.

45th minute+1: Now Modric tries his luck from distance. Abdullah Al-Mayouf is up to the challenge.

45th minute: Another low Modric delivery causes a little havoc in the Al Hilal box. Jang Hyun-soo stoops to clear.

41st minute: Delightful away-swinging cross from the right by Federico Valverde. Think David Beckham and Kevin De Bruyne. Karim Benzema is unable to convert.

37th minute: Moussa Marega again! Real Madrid cannot handle the Mali forward and his runs pulling towards the right flank. He gets in between Eduardo Camavinga and Antonio Rudiger, with the latter making his presence felt just enough as Marega smashes over the near upright. 

33rd minute: There's a good deal more swagger about Al Hilal's play since Marega's goal, with Kanno to the fore. Perhaps Real Madrid won't have the routine night that looked to be on the cards.

25th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Moussa Marega!!!

Well, well, well. Real Madrid were absolutely coasting but some slack play has let Al Hilal back into this. Los Blancos were caught high up the field and Marega charged through and hammered a shot through goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

20th minute: Real Madrid are having a ball here. Karim Benzema unleashes a venomous strike from range and Al-Mayouf produces a sharp save

18th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Federico Valverde!!!

Al-Mayouf fails to deal with Modric's low cross, his defence can't record and Valverde lashes home. It's a long way back for the Saudi side now.

14th minute: Al Hilal look for an instant replay and that's not far away from Luciano Vietto, whose low strike from 25 yards skids across the turn and just past the left-hand post.

13th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!! Vinicius Junior!!!

Madrid have been patient, moving Al Hilal around, with Modric to the fore, and Vinicius has his second goal of the tournament, scooting in behind the defence and slotting home Karim Benzema's cute pass. Al-Mayouf got a boot on in, but it wasn't enough.

4th minute: Al Hilal deal with the corner... and here come Ramon Diaz's team at the other end. Moussa Marega makes his presence felt and tees up Luciano Vietto, who runs out of road before the offside flag goes up. Still, that's an early warning of the front two's capabilities.

3rd minute: Early corner for Madrid as the returning Dani Carvajal and Federico Valverde combine well down the right. The Uruguay international's low cross is scrambled behind.

1st minute: Peeeep! We're underway.

5 mins from kickoff: Here come the teams after the obligatory bash through Thunderstruck by AC/DC. A reliably consistent performer at FIFA events. 

20 mins from kickoff: Madrid's defence will have to contend with an Al-Hilal attack that boasts Champions League pedigree. Luciano Vietto, formerly of Atletico Madrid and Sevilla among others, excelled in the win over Flamengo, while ex-Porto powerhouse Mousa Marega will lead the line.

30 mins from kickoff: The return of Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema is obviously huge for Real Madrid and it gives the experienced striker a chance to garnish what has been a frustrating season so far with his latest piece of silverware. A haul of 13 goals across 21 appearances marks a solid return overall across all competitions but Benzema has had to endure four separate periods of the sidelines with injury. These range from the minor knock that ruled him out of Madrid's most recent LaLiga match against Real Mallorca to the thigh injury that ended his World Cup dream with France.

50 mins from kickoff: And this is the Al Hilal XI. Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo will have to make do with a place on the bench.

1 hour from kickoff: Here's what the Real Madrid lineup looks like.

1 hr 20 mins from kickoff: Flamengo have bounced back from their shock defeat to Al Hilal in the semis by beating Al Ahly 4-2 in the third-place match.

1 hr 40 mins from kickoff: Despite grappling with an injury-ravaged squad, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti oversaw a serene 4-1 win over Al Ahly to reach this final. Could the 2023 Club World Cup be the last honour Ancelotti wins during his decorated career in European club football? The veteran Italian coach has been linked with becoming Brazil boss at the end of this season but dismissed those rumours at his pre-match news conference. Still, with Barcelona eight points clear at the top of LaLiga, lifting this trophy would be a timely boost for the 14-time European champions.

2 hours from kickoff: Hello and welcome to the Sporting News' coverage of the Club World Cup final between Real Madrid and Al Hilal.

Real Madrid vs Al Hilal lineups

Los Blancos had a long injury list ahead of this one. Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema were among those to miss the semi-final.

Goalkeeper Courtois missed out once more, defender Militao is on the bench and Ballon d'Or-winning striker Benzema is back to lead the line against Al-Hilal.

Real Madrid lineup (4-3-3): Lunin (GK) — Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Camavinga — Kroos, Tchouameni, Modric — Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr

Saudi Arabia left-back Yasser Al-Shahrani remains out for Al-Hilal with a fractured jaw he sustained during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Peru winger Andre Carrillo has been passed fit despite a suspected ligament injury during Al Hilal's semifinal.

"Flamengo didn't expect that we would change our formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-1-1, with Luciano Vietto as an attacking midfielder," said Diaz.

"Vietto ghosted behind their holding midfielders, who we identified were not good on challenges. And he was brilliant, earning both penalties and scoring a great goal for us."

Former Argentina youth international Vietto joined Al Hilal in 2020 from Sporting Lisbon and has had spells at clubs including Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia and Fulham.

The 29-year-old lines up behind former Porto striker Mousa Marega, with Odion Ighalo having to be content with a place on the bench.

Al-Hilal predicted lineup (4-4-1-1): Al-Mayouf (GK) – Saud, Al-Bulayhi, Jang, Khalifah – Cuellar, Kanno, Carrillo, Al-Dawsari – Vietto – Marega

MORE: When is the Champions League returning? Dates, schedule, fixtures and games for European football in 2023

Real Madrid vs Al Hilal live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch all of the action from this match in some of the major territories:

  TV channel Streaming
USA Fox Sports 2 Fox Sports, Fifa+
Canada — Fifa+
UK – Fifa+
Australia – SBS, Fifa+
New Zealand Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports, Sky Sport 3 NZ SKY Go, beIN Sports Connect, Fifa+
India – Fifa+
Hong Kong – Fifa+
Malaysia – Fifa+
Singapore – Fifa+

UK: Club World Cup matches are available to stream in the UK via Fifa+, where viewers around the world can also follow the action live.

USA: Fox Sports is broadcasting the final, which is also available on the platform's app, website and on Spanish-language channel Fox Deportes.

Canada: Canadian fans can tune in on FIFA+.

Australia: SBS and SBS On Demand will be covering the final for Australian supporters.

MORE: Real Madrid vs Al Ahly final score, result as Los Blancos clinch FIFA Club World Cup final spot

Author(s)
Dom Farrell Photo
Dom Farrell

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK.