2015 FIFA Club World Cup final

The 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final was the final match of the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, an association football tournament hosted by Japan. It was the 12th final of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised tournament between the winners of the six continental confederations as well as the host nation's league champions.

2015 FIFA Club World Cup final
The International Stadium Yokohama staged the final
Event2015 FIFA Club World Cup
Date20 December 2015 (2015-12-20)
VenueInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama
Man of the MatchLuis Suárez (Barcelona)[1]
RefereeAlireza Faghani (Iran)
Attendance66,853
WeatherClear night
5 °C (41 °F)
76% humidity
2014
2016

The final was contested between Argentine club River Plate, representing CONMEBOL as the reigning champions of the Copa Libertadores and Spanish club Barcelona, representing UEFA as the reigning champions of the UEFA Champions League. It was played at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama on 20 December 2015. Barcelona won the game 3–0 to claim their third FIFA Club World Cup title.[2] The win for Barcelona was also their fifth trophy of 2015.[3]

Background edit

River Plate edit

River Plate qualified for the tournament as winners of the 2015 Copa Libertadores, following a 3–0 aggregate win against UANL in the final. This was River Plate's first time competing in the tournament. They have played two times in the Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor of the FIFA Club World Cup, with one win (1986) and one loss (1996). They reached the final after defeating Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the semi-finals.[4]

Barcelona edit

Barcelona qualified for the tournament as winners of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, following a 3–1 win against Juventus in the final. This was Barcelona's fourth time competing in the tournament, after winning twice in 2009 and 2011, as well as being runners-up in 2006. They have played one time in the Intercontinental Cup, with one loss (1992). They reached the final after defeating Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi-finals.[5]

Route to the final edit

  River Plate Team   Barcelona
CONMEBOL Confederation UEFA
Winners of the 2015 Copa Libertadores Qualification Winners of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League
Bye Play-off round Bye
Bye Quarter-finals Bye
1–0   Sanfrecce Hiroshima Semi-finals 3–0   Guangzhou Evergrande

Match edit

Summary edit

Details edit

River Plate  0–3  Barcelona
Report
  • Messi   36'
  • Suárez   49', 68'
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
River Plate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Barcelona
GK 1   Marcelo Barovero (c)
RB 25   Gabriel Mercado
CB 2   Jonatan Maidana
CB 3   Éder Álvarez Balanta
LB 21   Leonel Vangioni
DM 5   Matías Kranevitter   10'
RM 8   Carlos Sánchez
AM 19   Tabaré Viudez   56'
LM 23   Leonardo Ponzio   32'   46'
CF 7   Rodrigo Mora   46'
CF 13   Lucas Alario
Substitutes:
GK 12   Augusto Batalla
GK 26   Julio Chiarini
DF 6   Leandro Vega
DF 20   Milton Casco
DF 24   Emanuel Mammana
MF 10   Gonzalo Martínez   46'
MF 16   Nicolás Bertolo
MF 18   Camilo Mayada
MF 27   Lucho González   46'
FW 11   Javier Saviola
FW 15   Leonardo Pisculichi
FW 22   Sebastián Driussi   56'
Manager:
  Marcelo Gallardo
GK 13   Claudio Bravo
RB 6   Dani Alves
CB 3   Gerard Piqué
CB 14   Javier Mascherano   81'
LB 18   Jordi Alba   16'
RM 4   Ivan Rakitić   43'   67'
CM 5   Sergio Busquets
LM 8   Andrés Iniesta (c)
RF 10   Lionel Messi
CF 9   Luis Suárez
LF 11   Neymar   61'   89'
Substitutes:
GK 1   Marc-André ter Stegen
GK 25   Jordi Masip
DF 15   Marc Bartra
DF 21   Adriano
DF 23   Thomas Vermaelen   81'
DF 24   Jérémy Mathieu   89'
MF 20   Sergi Roberto   72'   67'
MF 26   Sergi Samper
MF 28   Gerard Gumbau
FW 17   Munir
FW 19   Sandro Ramírez
Manager:
  Luis Enrique

Man of the Match:
Luis Suárez (Barcelona)[1]

Assistant referees:
Reza Sokhandan (Iran)
Mohammadreza Mansouri (Iran)
Fourth official:
Sidi Alioum (Cameroon)

Match rules[6]

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Twelve named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

Statistics edit