The CONCACAF champions haven't been at their best since dominating the continent, but can they figure it out this summer?
Back in December, Pachuca had their moment on the big stage. In the final of FIFA's inaugural Intercontinental Cup, they were set to race off with mighty Real Madrid. Having already beaten Botafogo and Al Ahly to reach the finale, confidence was high. This was Real Madrid, though, and confidence doesn't often matter against Real Madrid.
The Mexican side were thoroughly beaten. It ended 3-0, no doubt about who the better team was. Real Madrid cruised and Pachuca were thrashed. There would be no upset in December. Might there be one in June, though?
Pachuca will get another crack at Real Madrid in the second game of their Club World Cup group. Drawn against Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Al Hilal, Pachuca have been handed a tough group, for sure, but also one that the Mexican club will feel is escapable. This is a team that, in 2024, proved it can win big games by lifting the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and they'll need every bit of that big game experience this summer at the Club World Cup.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT.
Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field. Next up is Pachuca, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Mexican giants ahead of this summer's tournament.
GettyThe Basics
DOMESTIC LEAGUE: Liga MX
CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: Four appearances (3-1-5), third place in 2017
GROUP: H (Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, FC Salzburg)
OPENING MATCH: Salzburg – June 18, 6 p.m., Cincinnati
AdvertisementGettyHow they got here
Pachuca asserted themselves as CONCACAF's top club in 2024, winning their sixth continental title, tied for second most in the region. After slipping past rivals Club America in the semis, Pachuca blasted the Columbus Crew in the finale, winning 3-0 at their home base, the Estadio Hidalgo, to win the competition and book their place in the Club World Cup.
Getty Images SportThe player to watch
Anyone who has followed this game for a long period of time has gotten to see the mighty Solomon Rondon, and the 35-year-old striker is still doing his thing in Mexico.
The former Everton, Newcastle and West Brom striker was the CONCACAF Champions Cup's leading scorer in Pachuca's run, netting nine goals, four more than the next-best player. Those nine included a brace in the finale, as Rondon proved to be exactly the big-game player Pachuca expected when they signed him from River Plate just a few months prior.
Rondon has been doing this for years. He's Venezuela's all-time leading scorer with 45 international goals and he's played no shortage of big games for club and country. He's doing fine in the present, too, having earned a share of the Liga MX Golden Boot for the 2024 Clausura season.
Rondon is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, yes, but he's still one hell of a striker, and Pachuca will need him at his best if they want to make a run this summer.
GettyRealistic expectation
All things considered, Pachuca will largely just be aiming to get out of the group. The top spot will almost certainly be claimed by Real Madrid, but can they beat out Salzburg and Al Hilal to finish second? That's no easy task.
Salzburg have some of the best young players in the world, while Al Hilal is loaded with superstars such as Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joao Cancelo. Getting into the knockouts is going to be a big task.
It doesn't help that Pachuca have struggled of late. They finished 16th in their Apertura campaign, an embarrassing fall from grace. The Clausura has started a little better, with Tuzos up to seventh to start this season. Form isn't on their side, which means that their task this summer will be a tough one.