FIFA’s countdown to the 20th FIFA Club World Cup takes you back to the first and Necaxa upsetting Real Madrid to finish third.
To mark the 20th FIFA Club World Cup™, FIFA is counting down to its kick-off by showcasing 20 of the greatest moments in the tournament’s history.
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We must take a medal home,” stressed Vicente Del Bosque before the third-place play-off at the maiden FIFA Club World Cup™ in 2000. His star-stacked Real Madrid squad – featuring Iker Casillas, Fernando Hierro, Roberto Carlos, Fernando Redondo, Raul, Fernando Morientes, Samuel Eto’o and Nicolas Anelka – had been pipped to first place in Group A, and consequently a place in the final, on goal difference by Corinthians. They were, however, determined to take something back from a trip to Brazil. And wholly expected to do so.
Necaxa had edged Manchester United, who had famously withdrawn from the prestigious FA Cup to participate in the global finals, on goal difference to finish second in Group B. Crucial to that had been the sending off of David Beckham in a 1-1 draw between the teams. Surely, said the masses, they would be no match for the record European champions. It certainly seemed that way when Raul put Real ahead. Necaxa nevertheless summoned that renowned Mexican fighting spirit and, after Alex Aguinaga’s through-ball sliced open the Real rearguard, ‘Tin’ Delgado fired home to send the contest to penalties.
Real were ahead in the shootout, but rallied to leave Delgado with the chance to bag them bronze. He sent Casillas the wrong way before being mobbed by his euphoric team-mates. Delgado was, however, determined to pass the plaudits to his fellow Ecuadorian. “Aguinaga was exceptional,” he raved. “He would get in the Real Madrid side. You all saw that. Forget Edilson or Edmundo, Aguinaga was the best player at the world championship.” “We were due to get arrive in Rio on the 4th on January, but we decided to fly out straight after Christmas,” Aguinaga later recalled. “We were away from our families for New Year. “There were a lot of parties on the Copacabana, but we didn’t care. We were fully focussed. The only time I was momentarily distracted was when I got to meet Zico! “Beating Real Madrid was an amazing moment for the club, for all of us. I never got to play in the World Cup. That was my World Cup.”
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga Soure FIFA
