Barcelona recently progressed to the final of the Club World Cup after a comfortable 3-0 win over Chinese outfitGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC.

Luis Suarez turned out to be the hero for the Catalan club once again after his hat-trick. The club were overwhelming favourites to lift the Club World Cup, which has been dominated by European teams in the last decade. They will now face River Plate in the final of the competition. Prior to the emergence of European teams in the competition, South Americans used to be highly successful since they paid a lot of attention.

It appears that signing many South American players like Javier Mascherano and Neymar has helped Barcelona realise the importance of being successful in the Club World Cup. Mascherano claims that it is imperative that the club do well in this competition since it holds the key for the rest of the season. Chelsea were the last European team to be defeated with the Club World Cup, but they went on to win the Europa League in the same season. Even then, it was a major disappointment from the Premier League outfit. Barcelona may be strong in the la Liga and Champions League right now, but Mascherano says that this competition holds the key.

“It’s important for us and for the club the fact that we can go there and compete to be the best in the world and above all, obtain the prize.Barcelona are often talked about as a reference point in the world and now we have the chance to prove that. We know it will not be easy but we are excited about having the chance to do it. For us it is a very important competition and it will have an effect on the rest of the season,” said Mascherano.