Real Madrid 3 Pachuca 0: Vinicius Jr.’s victory lap and Ancelotti’s record-breaking 15th title

Real Madrid will end the year on top of the world after comfortably defeating Pachuca and winning the Intercontinental Cup.

Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior secured Los Blancos their second title of the season in the competition’s new format, which pits club champions from FIFA’s six associations against each other.

Real Madrid, who host Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday, will end 2024 with five titles out of a possible six. “At least we will fight to keep winning,” said president Florentino Perez, who has already won 65 titles between his club’s football and basketball departments during his time in charge.

But in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Pachuca at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, the key players were on the pitch: the aforementioned Mbappe and Vinicius, and on the bench the historic Carlo Ancelotti.

Vinicius Junior: simply “The Best”

Just 24 hours after being named 2024 Player of the Year at the FIFA Best Awards, Vinicius Jr. showed why he is considered the best player in the world.

He was fouled when he first got the ball, a sign that Pachuca knew they had to try and constantly stop him, but in the 37th minute they were too late, as is often the case when Vinicius is thrilled.

Jude Bellingham joined him in the penalty area, where the Brazilian was more Brazilian than ever and led a spectacular dribble past the goalkeeper. Then, instead of trying to score, Vinicius Jr. “gifted” the opening goal to Mbappe and cut the ball back to his teammate, who shot into the empty goal.

“I don’t know if I could shoot or not, but there was Kylian alone…” he later explained.

For the first goal in the first game and in the first final of the season – against Fede Valverde in the European Super Cup in August – Vinicius once again provided the decisive pass to open the scoring.

But he wanted more and apart from some great moments, particularly when he harmonized with Bellingham in the second half, he got it with his goal.

It happened from the penalty spot, which Vinicius Jr. has never missed in a Real Madrid shirt (he has scored seven goals in official games), although until Karim Benzema’s departure in 2023, penalties were not his specialty.

With his goal in Real Madrid’s 3-0 win, he also achieved an impressive record: Vinicius Jr. was also involved in 14 goals in 12 finals in the white jersey.

And what’s more, Vinicius has won 14 titles with Real Madrid since joining the club in 2018, more than rivals Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid combined in the same period.

Vinicius Junior celebrates Real Madrid’s third goal (Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)

Mbappe is healing some of his World Cup wounds

Mbappe returned to the Lusail Stadium just two years after what many consider to be the greatest World Cup final of all time. On December 18, 2022, Argentina became world champions by winning a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw against France, with a heroic Mbappé scoring a hat-trick for the losing side.

Wednesday’s Mbappe was no longer the Mbappe of two years ago, but his performance was enough for the 25-year-old to go home with his second title as a Madrid player after being decisive.

As in the European Super Cup, he also scored in Doha, taking him to eight goals in his last seven finals for club and country.

Mbappe opened the scoring, supported by Vinicius. After putting the ball into the net, he went to thank the Brazilian and then they both did the same to Bellingham, who played a key role in the game.

Kylian Mbappe gets his hands on the trophy (Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)

The Englishman made some gestures towards Mbappe during the game to get him to apply more pressure, something that coaching staff and teammates missed from him.

But after missing the game against Rayo Vallecano due to injury, Mbappe scored for the third time in a row. The club had planned his return in 10 days and even questioned his trip to Qatar, but sources at Valdebebas, who spoke anonymously to protect relations, were quick to downplay the seriousness of the issue in interviews The athlete.

This was a game you really wanted to be in and so he made a name for himself by starting and in his 61 minutes on the pitch, first Mbappe scored and then Rodrygo for his spectacular shot from the edge of the box assisted.

With the game against Sevilla looming, Mbappe is approaching the end of the year with 13 goals and two assists in 23 appearances for Real Madrid. His numbers are still below expectations, but as he has found his best level, he expands his overall tally both with these two trophies and individually.

Ancelotti wins record 15th title

Like Vinicius, Ancelotti lived up to his status just 24 hours after being named the best in the world.

This Intercontinental Cup is his 15th title with Real Madrid, surpassing legendary coach Miguel Muñoz’s tally of 14. Ancelotti wins a trophy every 21.06 games on average.

And it all started with a coincidence, as he himself recalled yesterday in the press room when he was asked whether he expected such success when he took over the management of the club in June 2021.

Carlo Ancelotti won a record-breaking 15th trophy as Real Madrid head coach (Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

“I didn’t imagine it because in the days before, I never thought I could come back,” he said. “I called (Real Madrid) just to see if I could find a new signing (for Everton). I threw it out there and they fell for it (laughs).”

Therefore, the noise that has been around – more externally than internally – about Ancelotti’s future in recent months has quieted down, at least for a while.

By the way, the locker room is with him.

“Congratulations; he deserves it,” Vinicius admitted after Wednesday’s win. “He gives us freedom, he does everything perfectly for us,” added Lucas Vazquez, Real Madrid’s captain in Qatar.

(Photo above: Mohamed Farag – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)