Ronaldinho leads Barca into world club final

Mexico's Club America forward Claudio Lopez (C) dribbles past FC Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez. European champions Barcelona have moved into the Club World Cup final with a classy 4-0 win over Mexico's Club America, inspired by the brilliant Ronaldinho.

European champions Barcelona have moved into the Club World Cup final with a classy 4-0 win over Mexico's Club America, inspired by the brilliant Ronaldinho.

The two-time World Player of the Year set up Eidur Gudjohnsen's first and scored the third either side of Rafael Marquez's header, before Deco completed the rout.

The Spanish giants will play South American champions Internacional on Sunday as hot favourites for the first intercontinental trophy in their history.

"It may have seemed easy, but it wasn't," Ronaldinho said Thursday. "We had a lot of difficulties because we were playing against a very good team.

"It's going to be very hard against Internacional but we are going to enjoy it like we did today."

Barcelona started ominously, with Ronaldinho curling a shot just over the bar and Deco putting one wide before the two combined for the stylish opener.

Ronaldinho flicked Deco's ball between his legs to Andres Iniesta, whose pass was placed right-footed by Gudjohnsen past diving goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

On the half-hour Marquez got the slightest of touches on a Deco corner to double the lead.

Chances were at a premium for CONCACAF champions America but Salvador Cabanas forced a smart stop from Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a long-range free-kick.

America introduced talismanic veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco at half-time and he gave the Mexicans some added bite, driving straight at Valdes from long range.

But Ronaldinho was running through his repertoire of tricks and it was no surprise when he ended the game as a contest, planting Ludovic Giuly's rebounded shot in the top right corner before celebrating samba-style on the touchline.

Valdes tipped away Raul Alvin Mendoza's close-range shot with 10 minutes left as the Mexicans searched for a consolation goal.

But Ronaldinho and Deco combined again with five minutes to go, the Brazilian drawing three defenders on the edge of the box before the Portuguese playmaker thumped Barca's fourth from 20 yards.

Ronaldinho also came within inches of delivering a sublime parting shot when he chipped on to the bar in injury-time.

Barcelona beat Arsenal 2-1 at Stade de France, Paris, in May to lift their second European Cup and qualify for the Club World Cup.

They are bidding to go one better than Johan Cruyff's dream team, which lost 2-1 to Sao Paulo in the equivalent competition in 1992.

Brazil's Internacional qualified for the final by beating Egypt's Al Ahly 2-1 in Tokyo on Wednesday.