Real Madrid beat Al Hilal 5-3 in a close game on Saturday in Morocco to win the Club World Cup.
Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde each scored twice while Karim Benzema scored a goal on his return from injury.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team was just too good for their opponent.
After their big win at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Madrid won their second trophy of the season. In August, they won the European Super Cup.
This was a much-needed break from their La Liga season, in which they are now eight points behind rivals Barcelona. Their bitter rivals also beat them in the Spanish Super Cup final back in January.
Also, Madrid has won the Intercontinental Cup three times: in 1960, 1998, and 2002. The Intercontinental Cup was merged with the Club World Cup in 2005.
“We had to get it done,” Ancelotti told Telecinco after the game. “We are very happy that Madrid is the world champion for the eighth time.”
We’re very happy; it was a great game. We had a lot of good players in our starting lineup.
I thought we had great movement and skill up front with Vinicius, Karim, and Valverde
After Rodrygo hurt his thigh in the semi-final win over Al Ahly, Ancelotti put Benzema in the starting lineup.
The 35-year-old forward sent a quick pass that put the Brazilian winger in on goal for Vinicius’s first goal.
Vinicius had a lot more fun in Morocco than he did in Spain, where people shouted racial slurs at him.
Moussa Marega – a former Porto player pulled one back by shooting past goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who could have done a better.
The Ukrainian goalie had a game he’d like to forget as soon as possible. He stepped in got the injured Thibaut Courtois.
Valverde scored his team’s second goal good combination with defender Dani Carvajal.
Luciano Vietto, who used to play for Atletico Madrid, scored for Al Hilal by dribbling the ball past Lunin.
Flamengo of Brazil, which had already won the Copa Libertadores, beat Al Ahly of Egypt 4-2 in the match for third place.
