Fluminense pulled off the biggest shock at the 2025 Club World Cup by knocking out the reigning UEFA Champions League runners-up, Inter Milan, with a 2-0 win at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Brazilian side booked their spot in the quarterfinals thanks to goals from Germán Cano and Hércules, delivering a strong, gutsy performance.

Now, Flu becomes the second Brazilian team to reach this stage, after Palmeiras, and they’ll face whoever wins between Manchester City and Al Hilal. Both teams come with different backgrounds but haven’t faced any CONMEBOL clubs yet.

City or Al Hilal? What Fluminense might face next

Manchester City has been an offensive powerhouse in the tournament so far: three wins in three matches, scoring 13 goals and conceding only two, comfortably topping Group G. Under Pep Guardiola, they haven’t yet faced a South American side and are clear favorites to advance.

On the other side, Al Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi, advanced as runners-up in Group H with five points, after a 2-0 win over Pachuca and draws against Real Madrid and RB Salzburg. The Saudi club also hasn’t met any South American teams in this edition.

A win with a Brazilian stamp

Against Inter, Fluminense got off to a quick start when Germán Cano headed in after a defensive mistake. Despite Inter dominating possession, the Brazilians stood firm with solid defending and quick transitions, with Jhon Arias shining on the attack.

Cristian Chivu’s side kept pushing but ran into an inspired Fábio in goal and the post denying Lautaro Martínez’s equalizer. In stoppage time, a left-footed strike from Hércules sealed the win. Now, the Carioca squad looks forward to their next challenge against a European or Asian giant.