By defeating Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal 5-3, Real Madrid this competition for the fifth time in their history. As such the Club World Cup is won by a LaLiga Santander side for an eighth time, more than all other European leagues combined.
The FIFA Club World Cup trophy has been brought back to Spain by Real Madrid, and not for the first time. After qualifying for this tournament courtesy of their Champions League success last season, Carlo Ancelotti's squad travelled to Morocco and defeated Egyptian outfit Al Ahly 4-1 in the semi-finals and Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal 5-3 in the final.
This is the fifth time that Real Madrid have won this tournament since it replaced the Intercontinental Cup and the eighth time that Los Blancos have become world champions in total, when including their Intercontinental Cup titles.
Given that FC Barcelona have also claimed the Club World Cup three times, this means that the tournament has been won by a LaLiga Santander club in eight of the 19 editions, which is 42 percent of the time. That's more than all other European leagues combined, as this world title has been won three times by Premier League clubs, two times by Bundesliga sides and two times by Serie A teams, as well as four victories by Brazilian clubs.
Not only did Real Madrid bring back the trophy as the winning team, but there were also a couple of individual prizes on the plane. Vini Jr. was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition, having netted three goals, provided one assist and won one penalty over his two appearances.
His teammate Fede Valverde, meanwhile, took the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the tournament, while former LaLiga Santander forward Luciano Vietto, currently of Al Hilal, won the Bronze Ball.
