Real Madrid defeated Mexican side Pachuca 3-0 on Wednesday to win the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The first half at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, the site of the 2022 World Cup final, was largely uneventful, but Madrid broke the deadlock in the 37th minute with their first clear opportunity. A brilliant team move saw Vinicius Junior round the Pachuca goalkeeper and square the ball for Kylian Mbappe to tap in.
Madrid extended their lead just eight minutes into the second half. Rodrygo created some space on the edge of the penalty area, faked a shot with his left foot, and then curled an exquisite finish into the bottom corner with his right, giving Madrid a commanding lead.
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Pachuca, the CONCACAF champions, pushed forward in the final stages, trying to reduce the deficit, but Madrid sealed the victory in the 84th minute. After Lucas Vazquez was fouled in the box, Vinicius Junior converted the resulting penalty to secure the Intercontinental Cup for Los Blancos.