Due to the World Cup in 2022 and the packed domestic schedule, the FIFA Club World Cup 2022 will take place in 2023. On American territory, the trophy for the best club team in the world might be raised. The United States is “a serious candidate” to host the following FIFA Club World Cup, claims Spanish media outlet AS. If the Club World Cup does take place, the targeted dates are February 6–12, 2023, due to the fact that the 2022 FIFA World Cup is held in November and December. Along with the domestic league champion of the hosting country, the tournament features the winners of each FIFA confederation.
As a result, Major League Soccer might attend the Club World Cup with two representatives for the first time ever. When the Seattle Sounders won the Concacaf Champions League in May, they became just the third MLS team to take home a Concacaf confederation trophy. The MLS Cup victors from this year would also plan a trip to the competition should the United States host the Club World Cup.
If the Club World Cup is held in the United States, Major League Soccer won’t be able to enter two teams. The next-best team from the confederation tournament that is not from the host nation will take the host nation’s champion spot if the host nation has a team that wins its confederation tournament, according to the event’s rules. If the United States were to host the Club World Cup, Mexico’s Pumas UNAM would compete as the last team because the Sounders defeated them in the Concacaf Champions League final.
According to AS, FIFA also considered Abu Dhabi and China as potential tournament hosts but was unable to come to an agreement with either, shifting the spotlight to the United States. The games would probably be held in an NFL stadium with space for large crowds.
After winning the Copa Libertadores by defeating Athletico Paranaense in the championship game by a score of 1-0, Flamengo of Brazil will be Real Madrid’s main competition in the upcoming Club World Cup. Flamengo won the third Copa Libertadores in its history thanks to a goal scored by Gabigol, a nickname for Gabriel Barbosa, which also qualified the Rio de Janeiro squad for the Club World Cup semifinals. It is yet unknown where and when the event will take place.
Along with Los Blancos, who will represent UEFA after winning the prestigious Champions League, which advances them directly to the Club World Cup semifinals, and Flamengo, the winners of the CONCACAF Champions League, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, the African Champions League champion, and the Oceania Champions League, Auckland City of New Zealand, have also secured their spots.
There are still two teams to be revealed: the one that will represent the hosting nation (TBC) and the Asian Champions League champion, who will be unveiled on February 26, 2023, the day the second leg of the final is played. One of the finalists is the Japanese team Urawa, however, it is unknown who will play against them.
From February 3 through February 12, 2022, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates will host the 18th FIFA Club World Cup. The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the event are expected to coincide just a little. The two stadiums, Mohammed bin Zayed and Al Nahyan will host eight games involving seven different clubs. The UAE is hosting the competition for the fifth time.
Previously, the nation held the occasion in 2009, 2010, 2017, and 2018. The UAE’s decision to host is consistent with FIFA’s policy of sending the world’s top club clubs to developing football markets. FIFA has given the competition to developing football nations including the United Arab Emirates (for the sixth time), Japan (eight times), Morocco, and Qatar in addition to the first edition in Brazil (both twice). China, the initial host of the tournament in 2021, also qualifies.
Initially, FIFA intended to debut a new concept during the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021. 24 club teams would compete for global honor in place of the current seven. The tournament was moved to the summer, in between the big European competitions, to allow the increase. The FIFA Confederations Cup would virtually disappear under the new model. The initial expanded event was slated to take place in China.
FIFA, however, decided to delay the deployment of the new format due of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no room for another international football competition after the continental championships for Europe and South America and the Olympic Games in 2020 were postponed to the summer of 2021. Therefore, the 2021 competition will follow the “classic” format and feature seven teams. China would have been the new host, but Japan withdrew citing limitations on attendance. The tournament now takes place in the UAE at the start of 2022, rather than in Japan at the conclusion of 2021.
The FIFA Club World Cup prize money has not been made public by FIFA. However, the amounts awarded from earlier editions are certainly a decent guide. In the past, $5 million was awarded to the winner, $4 million to the runner-up, $2.5 million to the third-place finisher, and $2 million to the fourth-place finisher. The CONMEBAL Copa Libertadores champion SE Palmeiras and UEFA Champions League victor Chelsea both go to the semi-finals of this year’s edition. Accordingly, if the figures from prior editions are any indicator, they are guaranteed at least $2 million. The fifth place received $1.5 million, the sixth place received $1 million, and the seventh place received $0.5 million.
At the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in Brazil, a record attendance of 73,000 was recorded for both the final and a group stage match. There was no competition from 2001 to 2004. In 2005, FIFA unveiled a new structure. The second-highest turnout was for the Japanese edition in 2016. Real Madrid defeated Japanese team Kashima Antlers in front of 68,742 spectators (or 95% of the 72,327 capacity) in the final in Yokohama. Last year’s championship match featured Bayern Munich and Tigres in front of 7,411 spectators. The least number of spectators has ever been noted. However, COVID-19 imposed a 30 percent capacity restriction. Thus, only 12,000 spectators could attend the championship game at Al-Rayyan Stadium.
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