Cult forward Salomon Rondon has been telling FourFourTwo why the Club World Cup has is so important to him.
Rondon has been in the best goalscoring form of his career since joining Mexican side Pachuca in January 2024. Across all competitions, 67 appearances have yielded 36 goals for the veteran striker, who’s hopeful of adding to that tally at the Club World Cup.
Pachuca’s campaign gets underway against Red Bull Salzburg in Cincinnati tomorrow. They then play Real Madrid and Al-Hilal in their remaining group games, with only the top two sides progressing to the knockout rounds. It promises to be a tough challenge.
Salomon Rondon: Nothing like the Club World Cup has ever happened in football history
For all the criticism directed at the Club World Cup’s new expanded format – its flexible qualifying criteria and awkward scheduling – Rondon and Pachuca are excited to be taking part, seeing this as an ideal chance to test themselves against elite opposition and potentially boost the profile of Liga MX. Monterrey are Mexico’s other representative.
“It’s interesting because this type of tournament has never happened in football history,” says Rondon. “For us, it’s a huge tournament. Obviously, we are representing Mexico and the CONCACAF confederation, but it’s really good to see so many teams involved. To be honest, everyone is excited. We have to be ready to play every game like a final.”
Just reaching this point was a major achievement for Los Tuzos, who qualified by winning last year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup in impressive style. Rondon shone throughout, scoring a remarkable nine goals and being named the tournament’s best player.
As well as consecutive hat-tricks against Philadelphia Union and Herediano, the Venezuelan international grabbed a brace in the final as Pachuca beat Columbus Crew 3-0 at their home ground, Estadio Hidalgo. By firing his new club to major silverware, and a spot at both the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and Club World Cup, Rondon became an immediate fan favourite.
“For me, it’s been a really good experience,” he says. “I’ve played in many teams and many leagues – different cultures and different types of football – in my career. But when Tuzos came to me and explained the project, and what they wanted from me, I was really excited to come to Mexico.
“I settled so quickly because I started playing and scoring goals. I have good chemistry with my teammates. Maybe this is the reason that we won the CONCACAF Champions Cup last year, which is why we’re here.
“There have been many positive things around me and the club. I’m really happy and grateful to Tuzos for giving me the opportunity to play in Mexico. My family is settled as well. This tournament is another positive thing. We’re playing against very good teams and we’ll do our best, as a unit, to compete.”
Although Salzburg and Al-Hilal are unfamiliar opponents, Los Tuzos do have recent experience of facing Real Madrid. In December, they overcame Brazil’s Botafogo and Egypt’s Al Ahly to make the final of the Intercontinental Cup, where the reigning European champions awaited. It proved a step too far as goals from Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior gave Madrid a comfortable 3-0 win.
“We were exhausted, to be honest,” says Rondon. “They won really easily, but this game will be different because we’ve had plenty of time to prepare. Real Madrid are a huge team with very good players. For me, they are the favourites to win this tournament, but we’ve come here to compete against everyone, do our best and enjoy the games.”
Although both teams have changed managers since then, lessons have been learned from carefully reviewing the footage of their last encounter. “We’ve seen the video of that game many times. We were late to press them and they played really simply, just one- or two-touch. They scored two goals like that.
“You learn a lot because many of our players are younger. That kind of scenario is new. It’s normal – the pressure to play really well against a good team. We did our best to win that final, but it didn’t happen. We know what we have to do and how we have to play against them. It’s important to do our best.”
At the age of 35, Rondon remains a powerful, bustling target man. Playing all around the world has served him well. Mexico is the seventh different country of an eclectic career that had already taken in Venezuela, Spain, Russia, England, China and Argentina.
Rondon is well-known to Premier League fans after scoring 36 goals across spells at West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United and Everton, including a memorable hat-trick of headers in the space of 13 minutes against Swansea City in December 2016. He later thrived under Rafael Benitez during a season on loan at St James’ Park.
Now he’s committed to setting standards at Pachuca and offering guidance to a squad containing several young prospects, such as teenage midfielder Elias Montiel and forward John Kennedy, who scored a famous extra-time winner for Fluminense in the 2023 Copa Libertadores final.
“As one of the experienced players in the club, my role is to help my teammates approach each situation because every game will be different. Playing against huge teams and very good players, we have to take every opportunity we have,” says Rondon, who routinely captains the side in centre-back Gustavo Cabral’s absence.
“This tournament means a lot to me. As a footballer, the opportunity to be part of it, at 35 years old, is massive. I’m really happy. I just prepare myself every day like a professional. Like every year, and every team I’ve played for, I give 100% to help the team – scoring goals, working hard and trying to pay back the confidence they show in me.”
