Guillermo Almada’s Pachuca will play in the final of the Intercontinental Cup!

Dec 14, 2024, 3:19 p.m. ET

Pachuca of Mexico, led by Uruguayan Guillermo Almada, qualified for the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup after winning the penalty shootout by 6 to 5, after drawing without goals against Al-Ahly of Egypt in the Stadium 974 in Doha.

The Azteca team had just delivered the big blow by eliminating the recent CONMEBOL Libertadores champion, Botafogo, by a resounding 3-0 in the quarterfinal match. Against Al-Ahly the match was close, with few options, and the score remained close both in the 90 minutes of regulation time and in the additional 30 minutes of extra time. The semifinal was decided from the penalty spot, an instance in which Pachuca recovered after having failed its first two executions, to end up reversing the series and winning it 6 to 5.

Pachuca achieved historic qualification for the final, in which it will face the powerful Real Madrid, the last winner of the UEFA Champions League. It is worth remembering that Guillermo Almada announced that the end of the Tuzos’ participation in the Intercontinental Cup will mark the closing of his cycle in the Mexican team.