FIFA Club World Cup Guide: Everything You Need To Know

The 2020 FIFA Club World Cup kick-off is imminent. Hosted for the second time in Qatar, participating teams have been arriving in the country's capital, Doha over the last week. Excitement in the city has been building as fans prepare to watch their favourite clubs battle it out on the pitch. 

If you are attending a match, watching from home or watching for the first time, check out our Club World Cup Guide to make sure you're in the know:

What is the FIFA Club World Cup?

Founded in 2000, the Club World Cup is a yearly event to determine which of the world's association football clubs is the 'best in the world'. Participating teams are made up of the winners of the six continents' major annual league competitions, who face one another in a 'champion of champions' style event. Joining those continental champions is the winner of the host nation's national league competition, making up a seven-team tournament. The victor gains the coveted title of 'World Champions'.

The cup is usually held in December, just before Christmas. However, the global coronavirus situation meant the 2020 competition had to be postponed until February 2021.

Which teams are competing this year?

This year’s continental champions are South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai FC (Asia), Egypt’s Al Ahly SC (Africa), Mexico’s Tigres UANL (North and Central America), Brazil's Palmeiras (South America) and Germany’s FC Bayern München (Europe). Oceania’s squad, Auckland City FC had to withdraw from the competition due to the New Zealand government's pandemic-related travel restrictions. 

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

Tournament Schedule

While the original ROUND ONE match has been forfeited due to Auckland City FC’s withdrawal, the rest of the tournament dates have remained unchanged with ROUND TWO opening on February 4th.

Match: ROUND TWO - Match A: Mexico’s Tigres UANL v South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai FC

Date: February 4th

Time: 5 pm local time (3 pm Central European time)

Location: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan

Match: ROUND TWO - Match B: Qatar’s Al Duhail SC v Egypt’s Al Ahly SC

Date: February 4th

Time: 8:30 pm local time (6:30 pm CET)

Location: Education City Stadium, Education City

Match: SEMI-FINAL - Match 1: Match A Winner v South America's Palmeiras FC

Date: February 7th

Time: 9 pm local time (7 pm CET)

Location: Education City Stadium, Education City

Match: SEMI-FINAL - Match 2: Match B Winner v Germany’s FC Bayern Munich

Date: February 8th

Time: 9 pm local time (7 pm CET)

Location: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan

Match: FINAL: Semi-Final Match 1 Winner v Semi-Final Match 2 Winners

Date: February 11th

Time: 9 pm local time (7 pm CET)

Location: Education City Stadium, Education City

The competition for 5th place will be held on February 7th at 6 pm in Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.

The contest for 3rd place will kick-off at 6 pm in Education City on February 11th.

Tournament Locations

Two of Qatar’s new World Cup 2022 stadiums - Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and Education City Stadium - will host the Club World Cup. Both 40,000 seat stadiums were completed in 2020, and will each host up to 12,000 fans during the upcoming tournament. After an entire year of postponed, cancelled and closed-door matches due to COVID-19, hosting fans in the stands make this competition even more exhilarating!

Ahmad bin Ali Stadium

State-of-the-art Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, located 23km west of Doha city centre in Al Rayyan, was inaugurated on December 18th 2020, Qatar National Day. The inaugural match was the final of Qatar's most prestigious domestic football championships, the Amir Cup. Twenty thousand fans were invited to attend the game - a first since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many months of planning and organisation ensured the safety of players, fans, officials and staff in attendance. The event paved the way for spectators being invited to watch the Club World Cup matches.  

Near the desert, the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium is heavily influenced by the natural landscape. The building's undulating facade wraps around the building, emulating the flow of a sand dune. Many of the surrounding structures and the complex's landscaping were also designed to mimic the desert dunes' shape. The facade panelling uses geometric patterns, often found in traditional Islamic architecture, to symbolise important aspects of life for Qatar's people - the desert, flora and fauna, strength, unity, and trade. Fans attending the FIFA tournament this February can expect to enjoy sitting in modern surroundings, with excellently located seats that bring them closer to the action on the pitch and cooling technology that ensures their comfort.  

Education City Stadium

Officially opened on June 15th 2020, Qatar's 'Diamond in the Desert' is located in Ar Rayyan's Education City. The stadium, which sits alongside nine Universities, a host of sporting venues, and some of Qatar's most awe-inspiring buildings, was designed with Islamic architecture in mind. Geometric style patterns, found across Islam, form the basis of the stadium's facade. Indeed, geometric panels lock together across the fascia to make diamond-like patterns. Along with the highly reflective materials used, it creates a shimmering, colour changing effect as the sun passes over the stadium. And, at night, thousands of tiny diodes illuminate the panels. Hence, the aptly given diamond in the desert reference. Like a diamond, the stadium has been designed to be durable, resilient and something to be treasured, now and for future generations.

Getting There and Away

Both the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium and Education City Stadium are easily accessible via the Doha Metro system. Fans are advised to use public transport, though parking for private cars and taxis will be available in and around the stadium precincts.  

• Ahmed bin Ali Stadium is easy to access by road, off the Dukhan Highway leading west out of Doha, and via the Metro Green Line.
• Just 13km west of Doha city centre, Education City Stadium is accessible via Khalifa and Al Luqta Street. Fans can also reach the stadium via the Metro Green Line. Once in Education City visitors can jump on battery-powered trams from the Metro station or various car parking facilities to get to the stadium grounds.

Fans are also being advised to arrive at the stadiums at least an hour before kick-off. Early arrival will ensure spectators get through security and into the stands with plenty of time to spare. Both stadiums will be open three hours before match-day action starts.

Following each game, it has been suggested that fans stagger their leaving times to avoid queues for the Metro, which will be following social-distancing protocol. Metro trains will be running much later than usual to ensure enough services are available.

Tickets

Any remaining tickets for the tournament can be purchased via the official FIFA website ticketing page.

Ticket prices vary depending on the match and the category of seating reserved. There are three categories of seating - Category 3 seats are between 10 QAR for Round Two matches and 70 QAR for the 3rd place and Final matches. Category 2 seats are between 30 QAR and 150 QAR, And, Category 3 seats are between 70 QAR and 300 QAR.

Safety

Only fans based in Qatar and other approved neighbouring states, in line with government policies on COVID-19, will be able to attend the Club World Cup matches. 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 (the test must be taken not more than 72 hours before the match), a positive antibody test, or proof of full 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.

Find out more about the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup in our Club World Cup Fact File.