December 19 – Real Madrid defeated Mexico’s Pachuca 3-0 to clinch the Intercontinental Cup and land manager Carlo Ancelotti a record fifteenth trophy at the club.
The European champions, who enjoyed a bye into the final, won at a canter with goals from Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior from the penalty spot, making Ancelotti the most decorated manager in the club’s history.
European teams have now won 17 of the 20 times the Club World Cup has been held – this is Real Madrid’s sixth title in the renamed competition for 2024 and before the expanded 32-team edition in 2025.
He surpassed Miguel Muñoz, who won 14 trophies at the helm of the Spanish giants. “Very happy, it’s a triumph,” said Ancelotti in a flash interview. “We didn’t get off to a good start but finished well, showing great attitude.”
In the previous rounds, Pachuca had eliminated South American champions Botafogo and African champions Al Ahly, but they were no match for a star-studded Real.
The Mexicans began brightly and offered some resistance in the second half through veteran striker Salomon Rondon. However, Madrid were lethal and from four attempts on target, they scored three times.
Mbappé opened the score in the 37th minute following a neat attack from the left and Rodrygo doubled Madrid’s advantage in the 53rd minute with a strike from the edge of the box. In the last minutes of the match, Vinicius Junior sealed the victory with a third from the penalty spot after Oussama Idrissi had clipped Lucas Vazquez in the box.
It was Madrid’s fifth conquest of 2024 after having won the Champions League, La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup. The Spanish side enjoyed a perfect couple of days in Doha after Vinicius Junior was crowned FIFA Best Player of the Year and Ancelotti won the FIFA Best Manager of the Year.
The two sides will meet again in the summer when they will feature in the 32-team expanded Club World Cup in the United States. Real Madrid and Pachuca have been paired in Group H, alongside Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg.
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