ABU DHABI // They left it late, very late, but Barcelona were crowned champions of the world last night after beating Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 in the Club World Cup final.
Barca's thrilling triumph, the club's sixth trophy of the year, was heart-breaking for their South American opponents, who were only minutes away from winning the cup themselves.
"Winning this way is very special; so much in a row is amazing," said the Barca manager Pep Guardiola. "We have achieved something no-one else has ever done. We need to be happy and I congratulate the whole Barca institution."
The midfielder Xavi called it a "historic" night. "It's going to very difficult," Xavi said about defending the titles. "When you look back in history you see there is only us who have done it [won six trophies in one year]."
More than 43,000 fans were in shock when, against the run of play, the Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli headed the underdogs into the lead eight minutes before the break.
From there on, Barcelona piled on the pressure as Estudiantes sat back, content to protect their slender advantage. A thrilling tussle at Zayed Sports City looked to be going the way of the Copa Libertadores holders until Pedro headed Barca level with a minute remaining. The first half of extra-time saw both sides go close before Barca's Lionel Messi chested in Daniel Alves' right-wing cross to send the stadium into delirium. Estudinates threw every man forward and almost grabbed a late equaliser themselves, but Boselli's last-gasp header was inches wide.
"We were so very near to achieving our dream," said Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella. "My players have done an impeccable job, we never lost spirit and we go home with pride."
emegson@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
More on animal trafficking
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
