FC Barcelona’s U12s made sure their trip to Brunete ended with silverware, even if it wasn’t the primary trophy they stepped onto the pitch for this week. After a physical semifinal where Real Betis proved too strong, Pol Combellé’s side regrouped Sunday to take down Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in the third-place playoff.
It was a match defined by the clinical finishing of Destiny, who capped off a stellar tournament by scoring both goals. The young forward was a constant threat, and while his teammate
Denzel missed an early chance to find him unmarked at the back post, Destiny eventually found the net himself by pouncing on a loose ball in the box.
The path to the bronze medal was paved with high-stakes moments, none bigger than the quarterfinal victory over Real Madrid. In a tense Clásico refereed by top-flight official Cordero Vega, Barça had to dig deep after falling behind to an early goal by Madrid’s Joel.
The comeback was fueled by a dominant second-half display where Pedro leveled the scoring with a header before Joel Cabanes secured the 2-1 win late in the game following a setup by Destiny.
That victory set up a clash with Real Betis, but the Andalusian side’s physical profile and defensive solidity proved to be a hurdle too high, ending Barcelona’s hopes for the final with a 2-0 defeat.
But the final day belonged to individual accolades and collective pride. Destiny entered the PSG match with the golden boot in his sights and did not disappoint. His second goal of the morning came in the second half, a result of a sharp through ball from Joel Cabanes that allowed the striker to slot home.
With seven goals in total, the Spanish-Guinean attacker officially finished as the tournament’s top scorer. Combellé used the match to rotate the squad, giving minutes to those who had seen less action during the week, yet the team maintained a clear superiority over the French side.
While Barça celebrated their podium finish, their rivals from the capital had a different sort of Sunday. Real Madrid, having been knocked out by Barcelona on Saturday, played a “historic champions” exhibition match against Argentina’s Boca Juniors.
That contest ended in a 1-1 draw, though Madrid eventually won the trophy on penalties, highlighted by a Panenka-style finish from David Sánchez.
Meanwhile, the tournament title stayed in Spain as Real Betis managed a 3-1 comeback victory against Flamengo in the final. The Brazilian side took an early lead through a Carlos Leonardo strike, but Betis responded with goals from Ameri, Jasper, and Lucas to secure the inaugural world title.
Javier Secano, whose long throw-ins were said to be as dangerous as corner kicks throughout the week, was named the tournament MVP.
