Barcelona completed a near perfect 2015 by becoming World Champions in Japan and securing a record third World Club Cup title.
The Catalans wrapped up their fifth trophy of the year with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over River Plate at the International Yokohama Stadium.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time, while Luis Suarez made it elementary after adding a second-half brace to his hat-trick in the semi-final earlier in the week. The Uruguayan has now scored 24 goals over 24 appearances in all competitions this season.
Barca’s deadly strike trio
River Plate are not the first and certainly will not be the last side to fall foul to the talents of Barcelona’s lethal attack. With Messi and Neymar both absent for the semi-final, Suarez took centre stage by scoring all three goals, but the trio combined to devastating effect to win the Blaugrana the final.
The movement of the front three was simply too good for River, Neymar was at his brilliant creative best and Suarez was typically clinical.
Neymar and Messi were involved in the build-up for the superb opening goal, before the Brazilian nodded the ball to the little Argentinian to put Barca ahead. Neymar also laid on the third goal for Suarez with a superb cross that allowed him to double his tally.
Neymar was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself, but was always a threat as he put in an excellent performance for his side – exorcising the demons of losing in his previous Club World Cup final for Santos against Barcelona back in 2011.
It could have been much worse for the South Americans, as Messi was guilty of spurning several chances and was well denied by goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero on a couple of occasions.
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