Club World Cup: Pachuca vs. Al Hilal Preview
Saudi side need result to have chance of advancing to knockout rounds
The final group to kick off their final group games is Group H. By the time these two games get under way, the teams will know what other teams await them in the knockout rounds, if not exactly which team they will be playing. That’s because three of the four teams in Group H are still able to advance to the Round of 16 and nobody has nailed down that top spot just yet. It should make for both very entertaining soccer and for interesting scoreboard watching. In Nashville on Thursday night, it will be Al Hilal fighting for their tournament life against Pachuca.
If any team at this Club World Cup has been a tremendous disappointment, it’s Pachuca. Despite winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup last year, they have not shown much quality at this tournament. They fell 2-1 to Red Bull Salzburg in their opener by a score of 2-1 in front of a paltry 5,282 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. Their second game was against Real Madrid and they would have been forgiven for simply losing to one of the best clubs in the world. That being said, the manner in which they lost was what was frustrating as they went up a man in the first ten minutes when Raul Ascenio was sent off for Denying an Obvious Goalscoring Opportunity. Despite the man advantage, Pachuca conceded twice in the first half and once in the second half before tamely getting on the board with ten minutes to play and losing 3-1. With two losses in two games, there was no chance for them to advance to the knockout rounds.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, hasn’t won a game either. Nor have they lost a game. They’ve managed two draws in their two group games. A 1-1 draw in their opener against Real Madrid was impressive, with Portuguese international Ruben Neves converting a first half penalty to tie the game. Their second game against Red Bull Salzburg finished 0-0. This means that, not only do they need a win to advance, but they also need some help in the Real Madrid/Red Bull Salzburg game. If Al Hilal does anything but win, they are out. If Al Hilal wins and one of the teams in the other game wins, they are through to the next round. If Al Hilal wins, and the other two teams draw, they will all three have five points and it will come down to goal difference.
When, Where
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Stadium: Geodis Park
City: Nashville, TN
Time: 9pm ET
TV: DAZN
How They Qualified
Pachuca: 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners
Al Hilal: 2021 AFC Champions League winners
Group H Standings
Real Madrid: 4pts (+2)
Red Bull Salzburg: 4pts (+1)
Al Hilal: 2pts (0)
Pachuca: 0pts (-3)
Photo Credit: Dos Mundos