Real Madrid beat Pachuca to win FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Qatar | Football News

Real Madrid won the FIFA Intercontinental Cup after beating Mexico’s Pachuca 3-0 in a largely one-sided final in Qatar, with Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. all scoring.

The Spanish giants did just enough to win comfortably on Wednesday and never looked like they would relinquish control, although the CONCACAF champions occasionally threatened with counter-attacks at the Lusail Stadium.

The Champions League winners opened the scoring in the 37th minute with a great team effort that started with Jude Bellingham passing to Vinicius Jr., who ran past the goalkeeper before putting the ball on a plate for Mbappe, who shot him into the empty goal.

Rodrygo extended the lead in the 52nd minute with a beautiful shot as he beat two defenders, then moved inside and directed a beautiful shot into the top corner with his right foot.

Vinicius Junior, who won FIFA’s Best Man award on Tuesday, gave Real an easy win with an 83rd-minute penalty after Oussama Idrissi fouled captain Lucas Vazquez in the penalty area.

Rodrygo praises FIFA best winner Vinicius Junior

After winning three trophies in the original Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor to the current format that pitted the European and South American champions against each other, and five Club World Cups, Real have now won a total of nine global titles.

“We are very happy about another title,” Rodrygo told Spanish television station Telecinco.

“I was a little worried about the goal because Jude (Bellingham) was in front of the goalkeeper, but he didn’t interfere with the game, so I’m happy to help the team.”

“Vinicius is great, he’s playing really well at the moment and we’re happy to have him with us. We have a great team and we’re excited.”

Pachuca threatened with early goals from Oussama Idrissi, Luis Rodriguez and Elias Montiel, which were denied by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, but Real slowly took control of the game, with Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo leading the way and Bellingham both making dangerous passes room served.

Rodrygo and Bellingham had two great chances to score before Mbappe put them ahead and Pachuca were lucky to intervene on the break and not lose by a larger margin as Real increased the pressure.

After Rodrygo scored Real’s second goal seven minutes into the second half, coach Carlo Ancelotti made several changes.

His team then missed several opportunities before Vazquez appealed for a foul in the penalty area, which the referee initially failed to notice but awarded a penalty after checking the VAR replay.

Vinicius’ free kick landed low on the right side and goalkeeper Carlos Moreno was able to save the ball, but it was not enough to prevent the ball from hitting the goal.

Real success for Ancelotti

Real’s triumph was also a notable milestone for its coach Carlo Ancelotti, as the Italian became the coach with the most titles in the club’s history with a total of 15 trophies.

With this victory, Ancelotti overtook the late Miguel Munoz, which he equaled by winning the European Super Cup against Atalanta in August.

“There are so many of them (titles)! I’m delighted, really happy… it’s a success story,” a smiling Ancelotti told Spanish television channel Telecinco.

“I really liked the attitude of the players today. They made the difference up front, Vinicius Jr. played a great game. We did well offensively.

“We have a lot of quality. Kylian (Mbappe) had a good game, Rodrygo scored the second goal… We are very happy because we won a title far from home and in the middle of a busy season.”

The 65-year-old Ancelotti has one of the most successful CVs in world football.

When he was lured back to Madrid for a second spell three years ago following the departure of big club Zinedine Zidane, he knew his sole mission was to increase Real’s trophy haul and he did not disappoint.

He was the first coach to win titles in each of Europe’s top five leagues – England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France – and led Real Madrid to two Champions League and LaLiga doubles in three seasons.

Ancelotti’s titles at Real Madrid include three Champions League titles, two Club World Cups, three European Super Cups, two Spanish League titles, two Spanish Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and now an Intercontinental Cup title.

The legacy of the #FIFAIntercontinentalCup! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/IpHENAuiyr

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) December 18, 2024