Pachuca shock Al Ahly to face Real Madrid in FIFA Intercontinental final football news

Mexico’s Pachuca defeated Egyptian side Al Ahly in a penalty shootout to set up an Intercontinental Cup final with Spanish giants Real Madrid in Qatar.

Mexican side Pachuca beat Egypt’s Al Ahly on penalties at Doha’s Stadium 974 on Saturday to claim the Challenger Cup and book their place in FIFA’s Intercontinental Cup final.

Pachuca will now face Spanish giants Real Madrid in the showpiece in Qatar on Wednesday, entering the final of the tournament as European champions.

The South American team defeated the African team 6–5 on penalties after a goalless semi-final in which Al Ahly dominated possession and tested the keeper five times compared to Pachuca’s three.

Four spot kicks were missed by both sides, including an early penalty by Pachuca’s Salomon Rondon, before right-back Khaled Abdel Fattah hit the bar with his effort in the decisive moment.

Pachuca players rush to celebrate their penalty shootout victory (Hussein Saeed/AP)

“It was difficult, very complicated, especially because of the marathon game played today,” said Pachuca coach Guillermo Almada. “We will try to get the players back on their feet and go into the game (the final) with all the motivation in the world.”

Wednesday’s final against Madrid will be played at the Lusail Stadium, which hosted the World Cup final between Argentina and France two years ago.

On Saturday, a crowd of 38,841 attended Stadium 974, which was built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as part of Qatar’s pledge to deliver the first carbon-neutral tournament by using so many shipping containers as a “symbol of sustainability”. Had gone.

CF Pachuca's Salomon Rondon (23) receives the trophy from FIFA President Gianni Infantino after winning the Intercontinental Cup football match against Al Ahly FC at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar on Saturday, December 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussain Syed) — CF Pachuca’s Salomon Rondon receives the trophy from FIFA President Gianni Infantino (Hussein Saeed/AP)

Mexico’s Pachuca pulled off an upset against Brazil’s Botafogo with a 3-0 win in the America’s derby in the last round – thanks to second-half strikes from Pachuca’s Ousama Idrissi, Nelson Deosa and Rondon.

Botafogo recently completed a domestic double in Brazil.

The win continues a remarkable year for Pachuca, which had already seen them win the Concacaf Champions Cup following a 3–0 victory in the final against MLS side Columbus Crew in early June.