Real Madrid defeated Mexican club Pachuca 3-0 on Wednesday to win the inaugural edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Doha, Qatar, Afrosport reports.
After a spell of unfruitful attack from Pachuca, Madrid broke the deadlock in the 37th minute inside the Lusail Stadium through Kylian Mbappe, with the 25-year-old scoring once again at the same ground he bagged a hat-trick for France in the 2022 World Cup final.
Mbappe tapped the ball into an empty net after Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior had gotten the better of goalkeeper Carlos Moreno before teeing up the Frenchman.
🏆 ¡CHAMPIONS! 🏆
🏁 @RealMadridEn 3-0 @Tuzos
⚽ 37′ @KMbappe
⚽ 53′ @RodrygoGoes
⚽ 84′ @ViniJr (p)#FIFAIntercontinentalCup | #WorldCham9ions pic.twitter.com/T67qt0MQER— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 18, 2024
The Mexicans came close to levelling proceedings in the 52nd minute, but Nelson Deossa’s deflected effort from the edge of the box was just wide off the post.
They, however, were made to rue their missed chances as Rodrygo doubled Real Madrid’s lead a minute later. The Brazilian’s bending right-footed effort from the edge of the box was too much to handle for Moreno.
Venezuelan forward Salomon Rondon came close to drawing one back for Pachuca in the 70th minute, but his header from an Elias Montiel cross failed to find the back of the net.
Real Madrid put the icing on the cake with an 84th-minute penalty from Vinicius Junior, who got on the scoresheet a day after he was named the Men’s Player of the Year at The Best FIFA Awards.
The Brazil international, who won the Golden Ball award for his performance, calmly slotted his penalty past the helpless Moreno after Lucas Vazquez was fouled in the danger area.
🙌 INTERCONTINENTAL CUP CHAMPIONS! 🙌#WorldCham9ions | #FIFAIntercontinentalCup pic.twitter.com/Lt3G02dIjX
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 18, 2024
The win ensured the 15-time European Champions clinched their second title of the season, having won the UEFA Super Cup in August.
Los Blancos will be back in action on Sunday, 22 December, when they host Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in a matchday 18 encounter in La Liga.
