Error code: %{errorCode}
Marcos Leonardo: I dedicate Al Hilal's win to my mother
- Al Hilal defeated Manchester City to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals
- Marcos Leonardo scored twice to help lead his team to the extra time win
- The Brazilian dedicated the dramatic victory to his mother, who has battled health problems
In the first minute of the second half, Marcos Leonardo scored the goal that brought his side level and got the comeback under way. With 112 minutes on the clock, he then put his side ahead 4-3, clinching a historic victory for Al Hilal against Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ round of 16.
Understandably, the night of 30 June 2025 will be difficult to forget for Marcos Leonardo.
Watch live and free on DAZN
“I am sure that this day will remain engraved in my life, in the life of Al Hilal and in the lives of all Arabs,” said the centre-forward.
The task at hand was far from easy. Even before kick-off, Al Hilal knew they would be facing a team familiar with exerting dominance in matches. But for the Brazilian star, nicknamed “the new Pele” by former club Santos, the significance of the match went far beyond any strategy to outmatch his opponent. While his body was gracing the pitch in Orlando, his mind was back in Sao Paulo, where his mother, Leidiane Santos, proudly watched her 22-year-old son shine on the world’s biggest stage.
Once the final whistle had been blown, the No11 spoke about the family health scare he had recently experienced with his mother, and how happy he was to have her cheering him on – albeit from afar – on what was possibly one of the greatest nights of his career.
“I have so many people to dedicate [this win] to: my family, my father who is here, my friends, but I think mainly my mother,” he told FIFA.
Buy tickets to watch the conclusion of the Club World Cup
“For those who don’t know, she spent 60 days in intensive care, including 23 days on a ventilator in the hospital. It was a blessing from God that she was able to watch the match in Brazil. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be here [in the USA], but thank God she’s on the mend. I’m delighted with this match, these goals and my mother.”
In the last week of May, Leidiane underwent a surgical procedure that went awry and had to remain in hospital until shortly before the start of the Club World Cup. During this period, Al Hilal were vying for the Saudi Pro League title, but Marcos Leonardo still did everything he could to be by his mother’s side. On more than one occasion, he made the most of his time off to catch a plane and visit her in Brazil.
On one such occasion, he had three days off and made a quick trip to be with Leidiane at the hospital before returning to Riyadh. She is still recovering in Sao Paulo, but is now in the clear.
Feeling more at ease after everything he has had to cope with in recent weeks, Marcos Leonardo can continue doing what he has done best since he burst onto the scene at Santos: scoring goals.
“I’m a centre-forward; I live and breathe scoring goals,” he said. “And there’s nothing better than scoring two goals against a team as big as Manchester City. I will cherish the memory of that match in my heart as long as I live – I can’t describe how happy I am.”
The Brazilian starlet is one of the players vying to finish as the tournament's top scorer. The Santos academy graduate, who scored 54 goals for their senior team before leaving for SL Benfica in 2024, will do whatever it takes to find the back of the net. This was evident yet again against City, when he refused to leave the pitch despite suffering severe cramps.
His perseverance was rewarded with the winning goal.
“I went to sprint, pulled my calf and thought I wouldn’t be able to continue,” said Marcos Leonardo. “The coaching staff were indicating a change to be made, but I told the coach [Simone Inzaghi] that I had no intention of coming off.
“When I scored the goal, as I controlled the ball, I felt cramps in both legs, but I said: ‘I’m only a whisker away’. Thank God it paid off. I have to thank the whole team for their effort in this match. It was very difficult, but we came away with the result. It’s a historic moment.”
After so much pain and resilience, Marcos Leonardo and Al Hilal are preparing to face Fluminense FC in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday, 4 July. The forward knows that it will be a new battle for him and his team.
“We’re taking it game by game, next up: the quarter-finals,” he said. “There are no easy games. We’re going to face a great team. If God wants us to reach the semis, we will.”
