FIFA Club World Cup Draw Lines up Tournament Opponents

On February 4th, the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar will host the 2020 winners of the six football confederation's continental championships and the host nation's national league championship to decide which squad will be crowned world champions. The pandemic-hit tournament was supposed to kick-off in December 2020. Due to the virus's impact on the football industry, it was postponed until February 2021, with an obvious knock-on effect on the draw for the competition. What's more, the competition will now go ahead with only six competing teams. Auckland City was recently forced to pull out of the games due to the New Zealand government's pandemic-related travel restrictions. However, the official draw finally took place on January 19th at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich where the remaining six squads discovered who they will tackle when the tournament kicks-off.

Who’s In

2020’s continental champions playing at the up and coming tournament include:

• South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai FC (AFC)
• Egypt’s Al Ahly SC (CAF)
• Mexico’s Tigres UANL (CONCACAF)
• Brazil's Palmeiras (CONMEBOL)
• Germany’s FC Bayern München (UEFA)

Those five squads are joined by the host nation’s national league winners, Al Duhail SC.

The Schedule

While the original February 1st match has been forfeited due to Auckland City FC’s withdrawal from the competition, the rest of the tournament dates have remained unchanged with the starting whistle sounding on February 4th.

First up to face each other at Qatar’s brand new 2022 World Cup venue, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, are Mexico’s Tigres UANL and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai FC. The opening match will take place at 5 pm local time (3 pm Central European time).

Qatari team Al Duhail SC will also play their first match on the 4th against Egypt’s Al Ahly SC. The head-to-head will be played out in another World Cup arena, Education City Stadium at 8:30 pm local time (6:30 pm CET).

The winners of the opening match between Tigres UANL and Ulsan Hyundai will play in the semi-finals against South America's Palmeiras FC. The match is due to take place on February 7th at 9 pm local time (7 pm CET) at Education City’s 40,000 seat stadium.  

Also featuring in the semis, Germany’s FC Bayern Munich will take on either Al Duhail SC or Al Ahly SC at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on February 8th at 9 pm local time (7 pm CET).

The tournament final will be played out on February 11th at Education City Stadium. The competition decider will kick-off at 9 pm local time (7 pm CET).

Good News for Fans

Fortunately, after nearly a year of silent football stadiums, the Club World Cup will be open to a limited number of fans. The lucky attendees will need to be based in Qatar and other approved neighbouring states, in line with government policies on COVID-19. Still, the opening of stadiums to spectators is a definite win for all involved. Fans will get to support their teams pitch-side, the atmosphere in the stands will help to inspire play on the field, and, for Qatar, such success during a global crisis is a great accomplishment in terms of event management. 

To enable supporters back in the stands, the Qatari government has strict health and safety measures in place. Supporters in the stands will have to present either a negative COVID-19 test, a positive antibody test, or proof of vaccination against COVID to enter the grounds. Fans will also be required to wear masks during the match and in the areas surrounding the stadium, including on public transport. They will also have to remain in their allotted seats and use outlined routes to enter and exit the stadium or use the stadium facilities. Temperature checks will also be routinely carried out, as will status checks on individuals COVID track and trace applications.

Tickets can be purchased via the official FIFA website ticketing page.