September 20, (THEWILL) – FIFA has unveiled the schedule for the inaugural Intercontinental Cup, a new club competition featuring teams from around the world. The tournament will consist of five matches, culminating in a final on December 18 in Doha, Qatar, with Real Madrid set to participate.
The competition begins on September 22 with a playoff between AFC Champions League winners Al Ain and OFC Champions League winners Auckland City. The victor will face CAF Champions League champions Al Ahly in Cairo on October 29. These initial matches will be played at the home venues of the higher-ranked teams.
The tournament then moves to Doha, where the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners will play CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Pachuca on December 11. FIFA has dubbed this match the “Derby of the Americas”. The winners of this game and the previous match will compete in the Challenger Cup on December 14.
The Intercontinental Cup Final will take place on December 18, pitting Real Madrid against the Challenger Cup winner. This date coincides with Qatar’s National Day and marks two years since the 2022 World Cup final.
This new format replaces the annual Club World Cup, which will transition to a quadrennial 32-team event starting next year. The Intercontinental Cup aims to provide a global platform for club teams while allowing local fans to watch their teams compete in the early stages.
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.
