January 30,(THEWILL) – Real Madrid’s path to a fifth Club World Cup appears to be certain after the draw for the competition held on Monday.
The draw, held at the Mohamed VI Football Academy in Salé, Morocco, determined that Los Blancos will face the winner of the match between Seattle Sounders and the team that wins the opening match between Al-Ahly (Egypt) and Auckland City (New Zealand) on February 1. Madrid will start in the semi-finals, taking on the winner of that match on February 7.
On the other side of the competition, Flamengo is eagerly awaiting their semi-final opponent. The Copa Libertadores champions will focus on the match between Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Wydad Casablanca (African champions) on February 4, which will determine their opponents.
Real Madrid’s record in the Club World Cup is impressive, having won all four editions it has contested (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018), plus three more victories in the Intercontinental Cup (1960, 1998 and 2002). If Madrid prevails in the final in Rabat, it will mark 10 consecutive years of European team victories.
The last South American team to win the competition was Corinthians in 2012, who defeated Chelsea with a single goal by Paolo Guerrero in Yokohama, Japan.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
