Pachuca shock Al Ahly to face Real Madrid in FIFA Intercontinental Final | Football news

On December 19, 2024By Littum

Mexico’s Pachuca defeated Egyptian side Al Ahly on penalties 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 Stadium 974 in Doha on Saturday to claim the Challenger Cup and secure their place in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

Pachuca will now face Spanish giants Real Madrid, who enter the tournament in the finals as European champions, in Wednesday’s showpiece in Qatar.

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

Four spot-kicks were missed by the sides, including the opening penalty from Pachuca’s Salomon Rondon, before the decisive moment saw right-back Khaled Abdel Fattah hit the crossbar with his effort.

Pachuca's players celebrate after defeating Al Ahly FC in a penalty shootout during the Intercontinental Cup soccer match at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed) — Pachuca’s players rush to celebrate their victory in the penalty shootout (Hussein Sayed/AP)

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

A crowd of 38,841 attended Stadium 974 on Saturday, which was built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the number of shipping containers to be a “beacon of sustainability” as part of Qatar’s pledge to deliver the first carbon-neutral tournament.

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

Mexico’s Pachuca had romped into an upset against Brazilian side Botafogo with a 3-0 win in the last round – the Derby of the Americas – thanks to second-half strikes from Pachuca’s Oussama Idrissi, Nelson Deossa and Rondon.

Botafogo had only just completed the domestic double in Brazil.

The victory for Pachuca continues a remarkable year that has already seen them lift the Concacaf Champions Cup after a 3-0 victory in the final against MLS side Columbus Crew in early June.