This seven-team competition will make its debut in Saudi Arabia.
Next month, when the Fifa Club World Cup is held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, history will be made. Champions of Europe, Manchester City, will make their tournament debut alongside Egypt’s Al Ahly, South American champions Fluminense, and hosts Al Ittihad. As the last team to guarantee their place in Jeddah, the Brazilian team was verified on Saturday.
What’s that?
The champions of the six continental confederations and the most recent league winners of the host country compete in the seven-team Fifa Club World Cup. The competition will make history in 2023 when it returns to the kingdom, with Jeddah serving as the host city. There have been seven previous Gulf-based Club World Cups: two in Qatar and five in the United Arab Emirates.
The tournament next month, however, will be the final one conducted in its current configuration. It will grow to 32 teams for the next edition in 2025. The host country will be the US.
Is it at all?
The 2023 competition takes place from December 12 to 22, with December serving as the dates for both the final and the third-place play-off.
It’s where?
Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City will host games.
Who’s in the game? * Club World Cup involvement using brackets
The 2022–2023 Saudi Pro League winners are Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) (2nd)
First-place winners of the 2022–23 Uefa Champions League is Manchester City (England).
Brazil’s Fluminense won the first Copa Libertadores in 2023.
Al Ahly, Egypt, the 9th-place winners of the 2022–23 CAF Champions League
Third place finisher in the 2022 Asian Champions League is Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan.
First place winners of the 2023 Concacaf Champions League is Club Leon (Mexico).
The 11th-place nominee for the 2023 OFC Champions League is Auckland City, New Zealand.
Fixtures (all local times in Saudi Arabia)
Round one:
December 12: King Abdullah Sports City vs. Auckland City, 7:00 p.m.
Round two:
December 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium: Club Leon vs. Urawa Reds
December 16 at King Abdullah Sports City at 9 p.m.: Al Ahly vs. Winners Match 1.
Quarterfinals:
December 18 at King Abdullah Sports City at 9 p.m.: Fluminense vs. Winners Match 2.
December 19, King Abdullah Sports City, 9 p.m.: Manchester City vs. Winners Match 3.
Place third play-off:
December 22, Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, 5:30 p.m. – Losers Match 4 vs. Losers Match 5.
Lastly:
December 22, King Abdullah Sports City, 9 p.m.: Winners Match 4 vs. Winners Match 5.
previous winners
With five Club World Cup victories, Real Madrid is the team with the most. In Abu Dhabi in 2017 and 2018, the Spanish powerhouses took home the third and fourth of those titles. Barcelona, longtime rivals, is ranked second overall after winning three titles. They have experienced success in Abu Dhabi before, in 2009, just like Madrid.
The only other teams with multiple victories are Corinthians and Bayern Munich (2); the other teams that have won the trophy once are Liverpool, AC Milan, Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Chelsea. The latter two, in 2010 and 2021, respectively, also accomplished the feat in the capital of the UAE.
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