Real Madrid set to clash with Pachuca in Intercontinental Cup final as Carlo Ancelotti eyes record 15th title | Football news

Carlo Ancelotti (Reuters photo)

Real Madrid meets mexican club Pachuca in Intercontinental Cup final Wednesday. This gives coach Carlo Ancelotti a chance to surpass Miguel Muñoz as Real Madrid’s most decorated coach.
Ancelotti currently shares the record with Muñoz, each having won 14 trophies. Muñoz coached Real Madrid during the 1960s and 1970s.
A win for Real Madrid would be their fourth Intercontinental Cup title. This would make them the most successful club in the history of the competition. Pachuca are aiming for their first Intercontinental Cup win.
The Intercontinental Cup brings together the champions from each of the six continental football confederations. The tournament is undergoing changes as FIFA is preparing to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams in 2025.
Real Madrid, which European championautomatically qualified for the final. Pachuca earned their place by defeating South American champions Botafogo and Al Ahly of Egypt. These preliminary rounds took place in Qatar.
Kylian Mbappé is expected to be available for Real Madrid after recovering from a left thigh injury.
Mbappé’s injury occurred during Real Madrid’s 3-2 Champions League win against Atalanta. He was substituted after scoring a goal.
He subsequently missed Real Madrid’s 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Real Madrid has a rich history in the Intercontinental Cup and Club World Cup. They won the Intercontinental Cup three times in 1960, 1998 and 2002.
This was before FIFA established the annual Club World Cup. Real Madrid have won the Club World Cup five times: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022.