MIAMI – CF Pachuca, the reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners, meet Real Madrid CF in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final on Wednesday at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar.
Pachuca earned its way to the final by defeating Botafogo 3-nil in the FIFA Derby of the Americas last Wednesday and outlasting Al Ahly FC, 6-5 on penalties after a nil-nil draw on Saturday, to win the FIFA Challenger Cup.
Elías Montiel, 19, was named the Player of the Match against Al Ahly, in part for his penalty conversion in the shootout to retake momentum for the Tuzos in sudden death. The Mexican club recovered after missing its first two attempts.
Goalkeeper Carlos Moreno, 26, has also had an outstanding two-match stretch with several key saves, including a stop in the penalty shootout with Al Ahly.
Oussama Idrissi, Nelson Deossa, and Salomon Rondon were the scorers in the win against Botafogo. The Pachuca attacking trident, along with Bryan González, continue being key pieces for the Mexican side as they were in the 2024 CCC as Best XI selections.
Real Madrid, the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, earned a bye to the final. The Spanish giants won its record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League crown on June 1, the same day Pachuca won 3-nil against Columbus Crew in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Final.
The European champions feature some of the world’s top players in Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé and Luka Modrić. Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti will share the sideline with Tuzos manager Guillermo Almada.
The winner of Wednesday’s match will be crowned the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup champion. In the case of a draw, extra time and penalties would be played to determine a winner.
