The Tigres have made Club World Cup history after they beat Palmeiras 1-0 in the semifinals on Sunday in Qatar.
They are now the first Mexican club and CONCACAF team to reach the finals in the tournament. No previous winner of the CONCACAF Champions League has ever made it this far.
Though Brazilian side Palmeiras were favourites to win, they struggled to get a goal in against their opponent.
As a result, the Tigres advance to the final, which will played on Thursday. They will go up against one of two teams, Germany’s Bayern Munich or Egypt’s Al Ahly, depending on who wins the other semifinal on Monday.
Andre-Pierre Gignac scored the game-winning penalty kick at the 54th minute. The 35-year-old Frenchman is now looking ahead to the grand prize.
“We came to make history and we are proud to be in the final because this was a complicated match,” said Gignac. “I am not celebrating the second place, I am celebrating our going to the final, let’s see against who.”
Carlos Gonzalez dedicated the win to their fans, calling their upcoming match a “dream final”.
“We are so proud of what we have done. We were looking at this task and we couldn’t believe it. We know that people are crying because of this victory. We want to dedicate this to all of them,” he said.
Tigres players graciously consoled distraught Palmeiras after the game, and Gonzalez called Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton a hero for the many saves he made.
Qatari club Al Duhail earlier finished in fifth place while South Korean team Ulsan Hundai finished last in sixth place.
