Kylian Mbappe put Real Madrid ahead 1-0 after five minutes at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but Barcelona responded 17 minutes later through Yamal, who performed his best version of club legend Messi.
The young forward sprinted onto a through ball from Robert Lewandowski, gliding past two defenders and neatly slotting the ball past helpless Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, triggering loud celebrations.
Barcelona gained full control of the game when Lewandowski scored a penalty, and Raphinha and Alejandro Balde added goals to give Hansi Flick’s team a 4-1 half-time advantage.
Things got worse for Real after the break when Raphinha scored his second goal to make it 5-1 and virtually terminate the game. More drama ensued moments later, as Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny received a red card for a cynical foul on Mbappe.
That incident forced Flick to replace Yamal with Dani Olmo in an attempt to tighten up Barcelona’s defenders for the final 30 minutes of the game, which backfired when Rodrygo scored Real’s second goal of the night, giving Carlo Ancelotti’s side hope once more.
There were no more goals in the battle, but Barcelona held on for a stunning 5-2 win to earn their first trophy of the season.
Flick’s Barcelona will meet Real Betis in their next game on January 15, as the spotlight shifts to the Copa del Rey.
Real Madrid will face Celta Vigo in the round of 16 the following day.