FIFA Intercontinental Cup: Pachuca, Botafogo gear up for Derby of the Americas showdown

Doha: Mexico s Pachuca and Brazil s Botafogo are preparing for the much anticipated Derby of the Americas showdown, which kicks off the FIFA Intercont...

Doha: Mexico’s Pachuca and Brazil’s Botafogo are preparing for the much-anticipated Derby of the Americas showdown, which kicks off the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2024 tomorrow at Stadium 974.

The clash holds more than just the glittering silverware. The winner will advance to the FIFA Challenger Cup, where Egyptian heavyweights Al Ahly await on December 14. The ultimate prize is a spot in the grand finale of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup on December 18 – coinciding with Qatar National Day – against European giants Real Madrid at the iconic Lusail Stadium.

Pachuca, who secured their spot by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup 2024, landed in Doha on Saturday. Since then, the team, coached by Guillermo Almada, has been intensifying preparations with focused training sessions. Almada has described participating in the Intercontinental Cup as a “unique opportunity.”

“There are more than 10,000 teams globally and hundreds of thousands of players who dream of this stage. We are among the final five teams competing for this honor,” the Uruguayan coach remarked during the build-up to the match.