Aoba Tanaka 
In an exciting turn of events at the Fifa Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, Manchester City is set to face off against Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals. The Japanese side secured their spot after defeating Mexico’s Leon in a thrilling second-round game.
Fluminense, the Brazilian club, will battle Al Ahly in the other semi-final after their impressive 3-1 victory over Al-Ittihad. Both Manchester City and Fluminense automatically qualified for the last four as European champions and Copa Libertadores winners, respectively.
This edition marks the final year of the current Club World Cup format, with Fifa confirming an expanded tournament featuring 32 teams starting in 2025.
Competition Format:
– The seeded tournament involved Al-Ittihad facing the winners of the 2023 OFC Champions League, Auckland, in the first round, resulting in a 3-0 victory for Al-Ittihad.
– Round two included Al-Ittihad, CAF champions Al Ahly, AFC champions Urawa Red Diamonds, and Concacaf winners Leon.
– Semi-finals will be played on Monday and Tuesday, featuring Manchester City and Fluminense.
– The final and a third-place play-off are scheduled for Friday, December 22.
Host Country and Stadiums:
– Saudi Arabia is hosting seven fixtures in two stadiums in Jeddah over a 10-day period.
– King Abdullah Sports City, with a capacity of 62,345, will host five fixtures, including the final.
– Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, with a capacity of 27,000, will host two games, including the Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Leon match.
Past Winners:
– European teams have dominated the last 10 editions of the Club World Cup.
– Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Vasco da Gama were the first winners in 2000, with Corinthians winning again in 2012.
– Sao Paulo (2005) and Internacional (2006) are the other Brazilian clubs to have claimed the trophy.
– Inter Milan secured victory for Europe in 2007, with Manchester United (2008), Liverpool (2019), and Chelsea (2021) following suit.
– Real Madrid holds the record with five Club World Cup wins, while Barcelona is next on the list with three.
#club #world #cup #football #saudi #news #footballnews #newssportz #sportznews #news #sports #footballnews
