FIFA Intercontinental Cup: A New Era of Club Football Begins in December 2024

Get ready for a new chapter in club football! The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is set to debut in December 2024, bringing together the best teams from around the world in a thrilling five-match tournament. This new event replaces the annual Club World Cup, which will now be held every four years with 32 teams starting in 2025.

The Intercontinental Cup will feature a unique format designed to create excitement and drama. The journey to the final begins with a series of qualifying matches, pitting continental champions against each other. The first match will see the AFC Champions League winners, Al Ain, face off against the OFC Champions League winners, Auckland City. The winner of this match will then go on to challenge the CAF Champions League winners, Al Ahly.

In a clash dubbed the “Derby of the Americas,” the CONMEBOL Libertadores winners will take on Pachuca, the winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The victors of these two matches will then battle it out in the Challenger Cup to determine who will face Real Madrid, the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, in the grand finale.

The final of the Intercontinental Cup will take place on December 18th, 2024, a date significant for Qatar as it marks their National Day and the two-year anniversary of the 2022 World Cup final.

Here’s a breakdown of the key matches and their details:

Match 1:

FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup Play-Off
*

Date:

September 22, 2024
*

Clubs:

Al Ain (AFC Champions League 2023-2024 winners) vs. Auckland City (OFC Champions League 2024 winners)
*

Location:

Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Match 2:

FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup
*

Date:

October 29, 2024
*

Clubs:

Al Ahly (CAF Champions League 2023-2024 winners) vs. FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup Play-Off winners
*

Location:

Cairo, Egypt

Match 3:

FIFA Derby of the Americas
*

Date:

December 11, 2024
*

Clubs:

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024 winners vs. Pachuca (Concacaf Champions Cup 2024 winners)
*

Location:

Doha, Qatar

Match 4:

FIFA Challenger Cup
*

Date:

December 14, 2024
*

Clubs:

Winners of Match 3 vs. winners of Match 2
*

Location:

Doha, Qatar

Match 5:

FIFA Intercontinental Cup
*

Date:

December 18, 2024
*

Clubs:

Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 winners) vs. Challenger Cup winners
*

Location:

Doha, Qatar

Get ready for an exciting new era of club football as the world’s best teams compete for the prestigious Intercontinental Cup title. Who will emerge as the champion? Stay tuned!