Real Madrid players celebrate their 3-0 victory over Pachuca at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, December 18, 2024. /CFP
In the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, Real Madrid won the title after beating Mexico's Pachuca 3-0 in the final in Doha, Qatar, with Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Junior accounting for the goals.
The Champions League winners opened the scoring in the 37th minute, following a fine team effort that started with Jude Bellingham passing to Vinicius, who ran past the goalkeeper before putting the ball on a plate for Mbappe, who tapped it into the empty net, making the score 1-0 in favor of Real Madrid. Rodrygo extended their lead with a fine strike in the 52nd minute, when he outran two defenders before cutting back inside, and curling the ball into the top corner with his right foot. Vinicius wrapped up the routine win for Los Blancos from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute. The final score was 3-0, with the win marking the Spanish club's second title of the season, following the European Super Cup, while Carlo Ancelotti earned his 15th trophy as the team's coach.