Real Madrid beat Al Hilal to win record fifth Club World Cup

Real Madrid’s players celebrate with the trophy at the end of the FIFA Club World Cup final football match between Spain’s Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on February 11, 2023. – Real Madrid lifted the Club World Cup for a record fifth time with a pulsating 5-3 win over Al-Hilal. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

Real Madrid lifted the Club World Cup for a record fifth time with a pulsating 5-3 win over Al Hilal on Saturday in Morocco.

Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde struck twice each, while Karim Benzema also scored on his return from injury in Madrid’s spectacular victory over their Saudi Arabian opponents.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who qualified as Champions League winners last season, had far too much attacking quality for their opponents to handle.

Madrid’s emphatic triumph at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium secured their second piece of silverware of the season, after winning the European Super Cup in August.

It also provided welcome respite from their La Liga campaign, where they sit eight points behind rivals Barcelona, who also beat them in the Spanish Super Cup final in January.

Madrid also won three Intercontinental Cups in 1960, 1998 and 2002 — a match between European and South American champions, which merged with the Club World Cup in 2005.

“We are very happy, for the eighth time Madrid are champions of the world, it was what we had to do,” Ancelotti told Telecinco.

“We’re happy, it was a good game. We had a lot of quality up front.

“I think we were good up front, with Vinicius, Karim, Valverde, who got two, up top the team had mobility and quality.”

Ancelotti brought Benzema back into the starting line-up after he had missed the semi-final win over Al Ahly