Madrid make it five

Same old story in FIFA's Club World Cup as European champions Real Madrid triumph in Morocco

- SAMINDRA KUNTI

Amid raucous Moroccan supporters revelling in the tricks of Vinicius Junior, the finesse of Federico Valverde and the

goalscoring prowess of Karim Benzema, Spanish giants Real Madrid claimed a record fifth Club World Cup, adding to their three Intercontinental Cup trophies. They dispatched Asian champions Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia 5-3 in an entertaining final. At various stages in the match, the encounter should no longer have been a contest – 2-0, 3-1, 4-1 and 5-2 – but every time Al Hilal found a way to keep the match alive, exploiting Madrid’s cavalier defending.

Even though his team never looked like losing control, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti conceded that Al Hilal had shown “skills and quality” against his side.

“Europe is indeed very strong, but the other continents are getting closer to it,” said the Italian.

For Real, the victory represented a welcome break from domestic malaise. For those outside the hectic bubble of European football, the Club World Cup remains a tournament of paramount importance, with all the participants having their own reasons to attach significance to their participation. The Seattle Sounders were the tournament’s MLS debutants, becoming the first team from the United States to participate. They had earned the right by beating Pumas UNAM in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final, finally breaking Mexico’s 16-year stranglehold on the competition.