Sheikh Mansour is a man who is used to success. He is one of the richest men in the world, a powerful figure in Abu Dhabi, and the man who has transformed Manchester City into a global football superpower. Since he bought the club in 2008, City have gone from being a team in the shadow of their noisy neighbours Manchester United to becoming one of the most dominant forces in world football. They have won Premier League titles, FA Cups, League Cups, and most importantly, they finally conquered Europe by winning the Champions League. For Mansour, Manchester City is not just a football club. It is a symbol of power, a way to show the world what Abu Dhabi can achieve, and a source of pride. But even for someone like him, there are moments when football delivers pain and embarrassment, and this summer, that is exactly what happened.
The stage was the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament created to decide the best football club on the planet. For many fans around the world, this competition is not as glamorous as the Champions League, but for clubs, it means prestige, recognition, and big money. For Sheikh Mansour, it was supposed to be another opportunity for Manchester City to show that they are on top of the football world. They were the European champions, the treble winners, the team with Pep Guardiola on the touchline and stars like Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden on the pitch. On paper, it looked like a tournament made for City to dominate. They were favourites, and many believed the final was just a formality. But football has a way of humbling even the best, and what happened to City in Saudi Arabia was a nightmare.
In the round of 16, Manchester City were drawn against Al Hilal, the Saudi Arabian giants. A match that many fans thought would be straightforward quickly turned into a battle that would haunt City. Al Hilal, backed by Saudi wealth and driven by passion, were not intimidated. They were determined to prove themselves. For the players of Al Hilal, beating Manchester City was not just about reaching the next round—it was about proving to the world that Saudi football was no longer in the shadows. And as the game unfolded, it became clear that City were in for a fight they had not prepared for.
The match was played in front of a packed stadium, with Saudi fans chanting loudly, waving flags, and creating an atmosphere that felt more like a war than a football match. City started strong, with Haaland testing the goalkeeper early on and Foden pulling the strings in midfield. But Al Hilal refused to sit back. They attacked with speed and confidence, and every time they went forward, the crowd roared louder. What was supposed to be a routine game turned into a chaotic contest. By the end of ninety minutes, the score was level, and extra time was needed. In extra time, disaster struck for City. Al Hilal found the breakthrough, and when the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 4-3 in favour of the Saudis. Manchester City, the champions of Europe, the pride of Abu Dhabi, had been eliminated in the first knockout round of the Club World Cup.
The defeat was more than just a shock. It was humiliation. The financial consequences were also massive. City earned around £44 million for their participation, but if they had gone all the way and lifted the trophy, they could have walked away with more than £100 million. That is a difference of £50 million. For most clubs, this is a life-changing sum. For City, with their wealth, it may not look devastating, but £50 million is still enough to sign a top player, fund a year of wages for a superstar, or invest in facilities. It was a blow that hurt both financially and emotionally. For Sheikh Mansour, who has always seen City as a project that reflects Abu Dhabi’s pride, the embarrassment was far worse than the money lost.
Keith Wyness, the former CEO of Everton and now a football consultant, gave his view on the situation. He said that Sheikh Mansour would be very unhappy and embarrassed by this result. Not just because of the financial loss but because of the politics behind it. You see, Al Hilal are from Saudi Arabia, and Manchester City are owned by Abu Dhabi. The relationship between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia is complex. On the surface, they are allies, both being part of the Gulf states with shared interests in oil, business, and regional politics. But beneath the surface, there is rivalry. Both countries want to show their dominance, both want to be seen as leaders in the region, and both use football as a tool to project power. For Abu Dhabi, Manchester City is their crown jewel. For Saudi Arabia, Al Hilal is their pride. So when City lost to Al Hilal, it was not just a football defeat. It was a symbolic defeat, one that Saudi fans celebrated loudly as a victory not only on the pitch but also in the world of politics.
The Saudi media went wild with celebrations. Headlines declared that Saudi football had arrived on the world stage. Fans flooded social media with memes, mocking City and praising Al Hilal. For Saudi Arabia, beating Manchester City was proof that their heavy investment in football was paying off. They had already shocked the world at the 2022 World Cup when their national team defeated Argentina, but this was different. This was their club side taking down the best in Europe, the richest club in the world, and doing it in a way that captured global attention. For Sheikh Mansour, watching from Abu Dhabi, it was a painful moment. His project, built with billions, had been humbled by their regional rivals. As Wyness said, in the Middle East, these results carry extra weight, and this one would sting for a long time.
For Pep Guardiola, the defeat was another frustration. He has always taken pride in preparing his teams for every challenge, but in this case, City looked unprepared. Some fans and pundits questioned his team selection and tactics. Others pointed out that City looked tired after a long season. But excuses do not erase the reality: Manchester City were knocked out by Al Hilal, and Pep Guardiola was left with questions to answer. The loss also opened the door to criticism from those who have always questioned City’s dominance. Rival fans mocked them, saying that all the money in the world could not buy success when it truly mattered. For City’s players, it was a bitter pill. Haaland, who has been unstoppable in the Premier League, could not save them. De Bruyne, the midfield magician, could not change the outcome. It was a team failure, and one that will be remembered for years.
The financial blow and the political embarrassment came at a time when City were already facing pressure. Off the pitch, they are still dealing with the 115 charges from the Premier League related to financial fair play. On the pitch, they are trying to maintain dominance in England while also chasing more European glory. And now, this Club World Cup disaster has added another layer of pressure. Some insiders say that Sheikh Mansour is furious, demanding answers and expecting a strong response. Others believe that this defeat could push City to spend even more in the transfer market, determined to ensure that such embarrassment never happens again.
But the story does not end there. Around the same time, Manchester City were dealing with another issue: the departure of James McAtee. The young midfielder, once seen as one of the brightest talents in City’s academy, decided to leave the club. McAtee had always been highly rated, and many thought he would become a star at the Etihad. But opportunities were limited, and despite his talent, he could not break into Guardiola’s first team regularly. His decision to move on added to the sense that City were facing challenges on multiple fronts. Losing a promising player while suffering a humiliating defeat created a narrative that City were suddenly vulnerable.
For Sheikh Mansour, the combination of losing £50 million, suffering humiliation at the hands of Saudi Arabia, and seeing one of the academy’s best talents walk away was a storm of disappointment. He is a man who values image, and City’s image took a hit. In the Gulf, where image and prestige matter deeply, this was more than just a football result. It was a moment that allowed rivals to laugh, critics to point fingers, and enemies to celebrate.
And yet, in football, pain often leads to response. The question now is how Manchester City will react. Will they spend even bigger in the transfer market, signing new stars to erase the memory of this defeat? Will Pep Guardiola use this as motivation to drive his players to another treble? Or will the cracks grow deeper, exposing vulnerabilities that others can exploit? What is certain is that Sheikh Mansour will not forget this embarrassment quickly. For him, City are more than a club—they are a reflection of Abu Dhabi’s power. And being humbled on the world stage by Saudi Arabia is not something he will forgive easily.
The world will watch to see how Manchester City respond. For now, though, the image of Al Hilal players celebrating, Saudi fans chanting, and City walking off the pitch in shock remains fresh. Fifty million pounds gone, pride wounded, and Sheikh Mansour’s project left embarrassed. Football can bring glory, but it can also bring humiliation, and this time, it was Manchester City’s turn to feel the pain.
