YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick on Sunday as European champions Real Madrid beat Japanese side Kashima Antlers 4-2 to win the Club World Cup and extend their unbeaten run to 37 games.
Ronaldo took a pass from Karim Benzema in the 98th minute and calmly fired under Kashima goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata to make it 3-2. The Portuguese star then sealed the win seven minutes later with a left-footed shot to the roof of the net.
Benzema scored Madrid’s first goal in the ninth minute of the final, pouncing on a rebound off Luka Modric’s volley that was palmed away by Sogahata.
Gaku Shibasaki equalized in the final minute of the first half and put his team ahead seven minutes after the break.
Ronaldo scored with a penalty kick on the hour mark after Shuto Yamamoto took Lucas Vazquez down in the box.