Set tournament dates and pairings. There will be Manchester City and Al Ittihad. One box still missing, that of the winner of the Libertadores
Saudi Arabia does not stop. After having monopolized the summer transfer market, the Asian country is now preparing to consolidate its visibility by hosting the next Club World Cup for the first time in its history. The presentation ceremony was held today in Jeddah, in which the pairings and the dates of the tournament were defined. The event will take place over 10 days, from 12 to 22 December, with Manchester City also on the field, champions of all last season, as well as Benzema with his Al Ittihad, winner of the Saudi Pro League 2022/23. Accompanying these two teams will also be Al-Ahly (Egypt), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Club Leon (Mexico), Auckland City (New Zealand) and the winner of the Copa Libertadores, still in progress (one of Boca , Palmeiras, Fluminense and International). Al-Ittihad will kick off the tournament against Auckland City. Whoever wins will go on to face African champions Al-Ahly in the second round to secure a place in the semifinals against winners Libertadores. For ManCity, on the other hand, direct access to the semifinals, which will play against the winner of the quarterfinals between Club Leon and Urawa Red Diamonds.
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With these joints, Manchester City and Al Ittihad could only face each other in the final, scheduled for December 22 at King Abdullah Sports, Benzema’s home. The Frenchman attended the ceremony wearing a special Saudi suit: “I played in the Club World Cup with Real Madrid and I have the experience to help my team,” said the forward. Also Gianni Infantino, FIFA president , did not want to miss the event: “I couldn’t wait for the tournament to take place in a very special country”.The revolution of the format will only start from 2025: from that moment the Club World Cup will expand to 32 every four years, exactly as if it were a World Cup.