Real Madrid Wins First Under-20 Intercontinental Cup in Chaotic Final Against Wanderers

Three red cards, a missed penalty and more than 52,000 fans packed into the stands at Santiago Bernabeu. That was the mix of chaos and spectacle under which Real Madrid lifted the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup for the first time, beating Santiago Wanderers in a final that started poorly for the Chileans but ended in a white party.

The match pitted the UEFA Youth League champion against the Copa Libertadores Sub-20 champion, and from the opening quarter hour it was clear this was not going to be a quiet afternoon. In the 25th minute, Alexander Dubo was sent off with a straight red for a foul on Daniel Yanez, and Yanez himself made the visitors pay by converting the resulting free kick to make it 1-0.

Down to ten men, Wanderers refused to fold and drew level through Christian Silva, who leveled the score and revived hopes for a team that had arrived in Madrid as South American champion after eliminating Flamengo on penalties. But rather than settling down, the match kept heating up on the way to a frantic final stretch.

A Finish for the Ages

With the score tied, substitute Fran Santamaria came off the bench and showed up at exactly the right moment to restore the home side's lead late in the match, scoring the 2-1. From there, everything sped up: Cristopher Valenzuela and Nicolas Carvacho were also sent off, leaving Wanderers with just eight players on the field, and Yanez had a chance to seal it from the penalty spot but missed. It hardly mattered: Roberto Martin sealed the win and the Madrid title in a finish as intense as it was chaotic.

The tournament, which brings together the champions of the European and South American youth competitions, has been held since 2022, with Benfica, Boca Juniors and a two-time champion Flamengo among the previous winners. Madrid arrived as the newly crowned Youth League champion, a title it won in April by beating Club Brugge on penalties, while Wanderers had done the same against Flamengo in the Under-20 Libertadores final.

Beyond the result, the number that will stick is the attendance. The 52,117 fans who filled the Bernabeu broke the previous attendance record for a youth soccer match, set just last year in the final played at the Maracana in Brazil. A figure that says a lot about the growth of a competition that is still young but already drawing crowds.