He Pachuca has won his sixth Concacaf Champions League by beating 3-0 in the final against Columbus Crew (USA). Thanks to this success, acquired at home in front of nearly 30,000 spectators, the Mexican team will compete in the next Club World Cup, expanded to 32 teams and scheduled to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
In its Hidalgo stadium, at almost 2,500 meters of altitude, the Mexican team clearly dominated Columbus, a team from the North American League (MLS) led by Frenchman Wilfried Nancy. The ‘Tuzos’ took off in the first half thanks to the goals of their attackers Salomón Rondón and Emilio Rodríguez (12′ and 34′, 2-0). Then Rondón, a 34-year-old Venezuelan scorer, made it 2-0 in the 67th minute, thus earning the title of best player in the final.
Rondón, decisive with his two goals against Columbus Crew
Author of a remarkable career so far, which saw him eliminate another Mexican club, André-Pierre Gignac’s Tigres de Monterrey, in the quarterfinals, the Ohio club could have tipped the balance even further without the performance of its goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
In the post-match press conference, their French coach, Wilfried Nancy, acknowledged the opponent’s superiority and pointed out that his players had suffered gastric problems before the match. “My players gave everything despite being sick,” he said.
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The dominance of Mexican clubs in the Concacaf Champions League is almost total as they have won 18 of the last 19 editions, with only the Americans from Seattle breaking this hegemony in 2022. Pachuca had already won the trophy previously in 2002, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2017.
