Ahead of Botafogo-Pachuca showdown in Doha on Wednesday, revisit the previous meetings between Mexican and Brazilian clubs in FIFA tournaments.
The contest marks the fourth encounter between clubs from Liga MX and the Brasileirao in a FIFA tournament, and the third since 2017. FIFA whets your appetite for the clash by looking back on the three previous matches.
Necaxa 1-2 Vasco da Gama
2000 Club World Cup, Group B
The first meeting between clubs from the two leagues came in the inaugural edition of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2000 in Brazil. Back then, the group winners advanced directly to the final, while the second-placed teams progressed to the third-place play-off.
With six points from two games, leaders Vasco da Gama took on a Necaxa side that sat second in Group B with four points, making this Maracana match a decider for a final spot.
The Mexicans could not have asked for a better start, as a composed finish from Alex Aguinaga in the fifth minute handed Necaxa the lead, only to see Vasco pull even just nine minutes later when Odvan smacked home a header from a corner.
The second half would bring the decisive goal. FIFA World Cup winner Romario took a touch, burst past a defender and ripped a right-footed shot that bounced inside the far post.
Necaxa rebounded by stunning Real Madrid on penalties to claim bronze. Vasco’s title bid fell just shy, as they succumbed to fellow Brazilians Corinthians 4-3 in a shootout following a scoreless draw.
Gremio 1-0 Pachuca (AET)
2017 Club World Cup, semi-final
More than 17 years would pass before Liga MX could get another crack at Brazilian competition, this time with Pachuca facing Gremio in the UAE 2017 semi-finals.
It was Gremio's first game in the tournament, while Pachuca had squeezed their way into the final four thanks to a 1-0 win over Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca. With brilliant Japanese playmaker Keisuke Honda in the fold, Pachuca had two great looks at goal in the first half, both through the Japanese superstar, who was unable to convert.
The teams continued to trade blows in the second half, but neither made the breakthrough, resulting in an additional 30 minutes. Gremio substitute Everton Cebolinha provided the winner five minutes in with by juking a Pachuca defender and curling a right-footed strike into the top-right corner.
Pachuca would end up claiming third place courtesy of a 4-1 win over Emirati outfit Al-Jazira, while Gremio fell 1-0 to Real Madrid in the decider.
Tigres 1-0 Palmeiras
2020 Club World Cup, semi-final
Liga MX earned its first and only win against Brazilian opposition in the Qatar 2020 semi-finals. Tigres topped Palmeiras to become the first Concacaf team to reach a Club World Cup final.
The Monterrey-based outfit arrived at the tournament buzzing from winning their first Concacaf Champions Cup and promptly defeated Ulsan Hyundai of Korea Republic to reach the final four. Led by formidable French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, Los Felinos took it to the Copa Libertadores winners, beginning with a crackling Carlos Gonzalez header in the early minutes that almost broke the deadlock.
After Gignac twice came close to finding the net, he confidently deposited a penalty in the 54th minute after Gonzalez had been tugged to the ground in the area. Palmeiras were desperate to pull level to avoid the early exit, but nothing could deny Tigres on this history-making night for Mexican and Concacaf football.
Tigres’ bid for the title came up just shy in a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich, but the accolades were still plentiful, as Gignac pocketed adidas Golden Boot honours.