Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- AC Milan beat Argentina's Boca Juniors 4-2 yesterday to become the first European winner of soccer's FIFA Club World Cup.

Striker Filippo Inzaghi scored twice for Milan in front of a sellout crowd of 68,263 in Yokohama, Japan, while man-of-the- match Kaka and defender Alessandro Nesta got the Italian team's other goals.

Milan's win ended South American domination of soccer's global club championship after Brazil's Sao Paulo and Internacional won the two previous editions.

``It was an open game and both sides had lots of chances,'' Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said at a press conference. ``Usually we don't score so many goals but in the second half we were very offensive and we were able to capitalize on our opportunities.''

Inzaghi put Milan ahead after 21 minutes last night when he side-footed home a pass from Kaka. Boca striker Rodrigo Palacio made it 1-1 a minute later with a header and the score stayed tied until after halftime.

Nesta's 50th-minute volley made it 2-1 before the game's turning point on the hour mark. Boca defender Hugo Ibarra hit the post with a long-range effort and two minutes later, Brazilian playmaker Kaka put the game beyond Boca's reach when he tucked the ball under goalkeeper Mauricio Caranta after a solo run.

Kaka set up Inzaghi's second goal in the 71st minute before Pablo Ledesma closed the scoring five minutes remaining with a shot that deflected off Milan defender Massimo Ambrosini. FIFA changed its initial ruling of an own goal after the game.

Lack of Luck

``In the second half the difference was that Milan took all its chances,'' Boca coach Miguel Russo said. ``There were moments when we could have changed the course of the game but we didn't have the best luck.''

Ancelloti said the victory was revenge for the last time the two sides met in 2003, when Boca won the final of the Intercontinental Cup in a penalty shootout.

``Kaka has helped us wipe out the bad memory of 2003 against Boca and he proved tonight that he fully deserved to win the Ballon d'Or,'' Ancelotti said. The Ballon d'Or is an annual award given to the world's best footballer and Kaka may also win governing body FIFA's own accolade.

Milan captain Paolo Maldini, who was runnerup in the FIFA poll in 1995, announced after the match that he will quit at the end of the season ahead of his 40th birthday. He has won 26 trophies since making his debut 22 years ago, including seven Serie A titles and five Champions League crowns.

No Regrets

The defender, who also played a record 126 matches for Italy before quitting in 2002, told reporters he'll ``retire without any regrets.''

``I have had everything in my football career but I have pain and I struggle,'' Maldini said. ``I still have a lot of fun but the pain is beginning to take over.''

Maldini's team was reduced to 10 men after 77 minutes yesterday when Kakha Kaladze exited for a foul, while Boca's Ledesma received a red card two minutes before fulltime for a challenge on Kaka.

The Club World Cup is contested by continental soccer champions. It was formed in 2005 from a merger between the FIFA Club World Championship, played once in Brazil in 2000, and the Intercontinental Cup, or Toyota Cup, which was played annually between the South American and European champions. The latest final was a repeat of the 2003 Toyota Cup matchup.

Earlier yesterday, Urawa Red Diamonds, the first Japanese team to win the Asian Champions League, beat African champion Etoile Sportive du Sahel on penalties to win the bronze medal.

Top Scorer

Urawa striker Washington, who finished as the tournament's top scorer with three goals in three matches, netted twice in regular time and opened the scoring in the penalty shootout after the game ended 2-2 at fulltime.

The Japanese team scored all four penalties, winning 4-2 after Mohamed Ali Nafkha hit the post and defender Mejdi Traoui had his penalty saved by Ryota Tsuzuki. The Japanese goalkeeper had earlier gifted Etoile a 75th-minute equalizer when he pulled out of a challenge against 19-year-old striker Amine Chermiti.

``We got away with it,'' Urawa coach Holger Osieck said. ``The defenders involved know very well what they didn't do. It was a mistake that is unacceptable in such a tight match.''

Etoile Sportive du Sahel, based in Sousse, Tunisia, beat Mexico's Club de Futbol Pachuca before losing 1-0 in the semifinals to Boca. Urawa, which is based in Saitama outside Tokyo and lost its J-League title to Kashima Antlers on the last day of the season, was beaten by the same score in their semifinal with Milan.

``My players showed great heart and great commitment and I am very proud of this team, even though we gave away two goals that made it difficult and took it to penalties,'' Osieck said. ``All in all we can look back at a successful season.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Yokohama at sbiggs3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 16, 2007 23:01 EST