FIFA Club World Cup Draw out; Seattle could face Real Madrid

The matchups for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup are now officially set after a draw for the competition was completed early Friday in Morocco. Seven total teams will enter the tournament to be played from February 1st through the 11th.

Wydad (CAF), Auckland City (OFC), Seattle Sounders (CONCACAF), Flamengo (CONMEBOL), and Real Madrid (UEFA) all qualified for the Club World Cup for winning their respective confederations. Al Ahly earned access to the competition to the tournament as host (despite being an Egyptian team). They were previously runners-up in the CAF Champions League Final in 2022.

Al Hilal is also competing in this year’s Club World Cup because they won the AFC Champions League tournament in 2021. The 2022 competition is still in the knockout phases. It will not end until later in this year.

American fans will notice Seattle Sounders appearing in the competition. This is the first time an MLS team is competing in the Club World Cup.

FIFA Club World Cup draw results

DRAW

First Round

Al Ahly SC vs. Auckland, February 1

Second Round

Seattle Sounders vs. Al Ahly SC or Auckland, February 4
Wydad AC vs. Al Hilal SFC, February 4

Semi-final

Flamengo vs. Wydad AC or Al Hilal SFC, February 7
Seattle Sounders or Al Ahly or Auckland vs. Real Madrid, February 8

Third-place final

Losers of semi-final 1 vs. semi-final 2, February 11

Final

Winners of semi-final 1 vs. semi-final 2, February 11

Television broadcasts of the games will be shown across FOX Sports and Telemundo Deportes in the United States. As soon as we get more details, check out the Club World Cup TV schedule.

Format for tournament is a bit uncommon

With an odd number of teams, the competition’s format is a bit unusual. Al Ahly will face Auckland City on February 1st in the first round of the competition. It will be the only match of the opening round of the tournament. Three remaining clubs will begin play in the second round of the competition. This is a bit similar to the March Madness bracket of college basketball here Stateside.

As winners of the two toughest confederations, Flamengo and Real Madrid will enter the tournament in the semifinal stage. Although Flamengo has never won the Club World Cup, Brazilian teams have collected the trophy four times since the competition began in 2000. Real Madrid has won this tournament four times during a five-year stretch between 2014 and 2018. UEFA teams have triumphed in each of the last nine Club World Cups.

FIFA has already announced plans to expand the competition to 32 teams in 2025.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Sven Simon