Club World Cup

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      Man City head off to Jeddah as Fifa Club World Cup set for major revamp next year – and it could be on a new TV channel

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      THE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP is set for a major revamp after this year’s tournament.Manchester City will head to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia aiming to become the fourth English club to lift the trophy.
      The Fifa Club World Cup is set for a major revamp in 2025Credit: Getty
      Rivals Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have previously followed up their own Champions League triumphs by winning the Club World Cup.
      The tournament gets underway on Tuesday before running for 10 days through to the final on December 22.
      Saudi champions Al-Ittihad join the six continental champions in competing for the trophy.
      City are due to head to the Middle East after Saturday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace and will enter at the semi-final stage.
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      Pep Guardiola’s side will face either Mexican side Club Leon or Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals on December 19.
      They will then conclude their campaign three days later in either the third place match or final.
      Fluminense, Al Ahly and Auckland City complete the line-up of sides in Saudi Arabia.
      TNT Sports will broadcast all seven matches, including those not involving City, after agreeing a deal to show this year’s tournament.
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      Manchester City begin their Club World Cup campaign on December 19Credit: Rex
      The broadcaster could remain in possession of the rights for 2025, although it is not yet known where fans in the UK can watch the next edition of the competition.
      However, it will be all change for the next Club World Cup in two years time.
      Fifa plan to expand the tournament to 32 teams after the pandemic stalled their previous increase to 24 in 2021.
      The new format will see the Club World Cup take place every four years, with the September and October international breaks merged to make space on the football calendar.
      Clubs will be divided into eight groups of four for the first round, before the top two advance to the knockout stage.
      12 European teams are set to qualify, including the Champions League winners from 2021 to 2024.
      As a result, City have already booked their place, alongside Real Madrid and Chelsea.
      Fifa plan to expand the Club World Cup from seven to 32 teamsCredit: AFP
      The remaining eight European berths will currently be allocated to the best eligible clubs in Uefa’s four-year coefficient rankings.
      Although no host cities have been named yet, the 2025 edition is set to be hosted by the USA. More

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      TNT Sports announce deal to show major football tournament with coverage starting tomorrow

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      TNT SPORTS have announced that they will be showing every game of this year’s Club World Cup.The annual competition is set to kick off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, tomorrow.
      Man City will aim to add the Club World Cup to their collectionCredit: Rex
      TNT Sports will show every Club World Cup match liveCredit: Getty
      Reigning champions of Europe Manchester City are among the teams that will head to the Middle East vying for world domination.
      Pep Guardiola’s side are set to enter the tournament at its semi-final stage next Tuesday.
      Kicking off at 6pm, City’s semi will be available to watch on TNT Sports 2 in the UK.
      The final will then be shown on the same channel, kicking off at 6pm on Friday, 22.
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      TNT Sports and Discovery+ will also show the matches not involving Man City.
      The tournament gets underway at 6pm tomorrow with Saudi side Al-Ittihad, boasting the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho, taking on OFC Champions League winners Auckland City of New Zealand.
      On Friday the second round will commence, with Concacaf Champions Cup winners Club Leon of Mexico facing 2022 AFC Champions League winners Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan at 2:30pm.
      The match will be followed at 6pm by the winners of Al-Ittihad and Auckland City facing Egypt’s African Champions League holders Al-Ahly.
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      Club World Cup full TV schedule

      1st round, Tuesday 12 December, Al-Ittihad FC vs Auckland City, KO 18:00 on TNT Sports 3
      2nd round, Friday 15 December, Club Leon vs Urawa Reds, KO 14:30 on TNT Sports 1
      2nd round, Friday 15 December, Al Ahly FC vs Al-Ittihad FC or Auckland City, KO 18:00 on TNT Sports 6 (Red Button)
      Semi-final 1, Monday 18 December, TBC, ko 18:00 on TNT Sports 2
      Semi-final 2, Tuesday 19 December, Manchester City vs Club Leon or Urawa Reds, KO 18:00 on TNT Sports 2
      3rd Place Play-off, Friday 22 December, KO 14:30 on TNT Sports 1
      Final, Friday 22 December, KO 18:00 on TNT Sports 2

      Monday’s first semi-final will see South American champions Fluminense of Brazil face the winner of Al-Ahly vs Al-Ittihad/Auckland City.
      Then on Tuesday Man City will enter against either Club Leon or Urawa Reds.
      The Club World Cup is set to switch format in 2025.
      Fifa bigwigs will stage an expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the USA with an expected prize-fund worth up to £50m-plus per team.
      The Champions League winners from 2021 to this season will gain entry, alongside eight clubs from the four-year ‘coefficient’ list, based on European results. More

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      Fifa’s new Club World Cup is just a reheated European Super League but at least it’s some rare good news for Chelsea

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      IT hasn’t all been bad news for Chelsea recently because they have already been awarded a place in the hugely expanded Club World Cup in 2025.This will enrich them by at least £25million and while that may be small change for them, it is still — as Del Boy would have put it — “a nice little earner”.
      Gianni Infantino has been heavily criticised during his time as Fifa presidentCredit: Getty
      Karren Brady has had her say on the newly-reformed Club World CupCredit: Getty
      But how come Chelsea have learned this week that they are already in the soon-to-be bloated competition?
      Manchester City are set to join them and based on a coefficient of European performance over the previous five years, Liverpool and Manchester United are in the running.
      And that’s about the lot unless one of the other Premier League teams wins the Champions League up to 2024. That would bring the total to the maximum allocation of four.
      The rest of us can go howl into the wind.
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      Europe has 12 places in all, so Real Madrid are definitely in while Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich could practically book flights now. The other 20 spots are shared by the other continents.
      There is a proviso to all speculation.
      Clubs probably have an option to say “no thanks”. Even the self-sanctified Gianni Infantino is not God, although I think he thinks he is, creating his own Laws for Planetary Football Domination — which appears to be a calculated mess.
      Many political plans are, of course, but this one is a re-heating of the European Super League that set supporters ablaze at the cash-power grab by six English clubs and a coterie of the continent’s rich.
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      The reaction sent most of the dirty dozen scurrying. Within days the ESL was dead — or “passed” as our newly-desensitised language puts it.
      Infantino was lurking, though.
      Evidently, he shares ideas about the have-a-lots and the have-less and so World Cup plans reintroduce the Rich Laws which in the case of the Premier League favours those with a recent history of successful super-high spending against those attempting to achieve greatness.
      So, Chelsea, Man City and the others involved in the ESL are the ones who will be blessed with entry into Fifa’s brushed-up club competition.
      Designed to undermine Uefa and, more importantly, to enhance Fifa’s already massive earnings, its formula reaches across the oceans to continents of lesser means.
      On paper, the idea is appealing.
      In practice it expands football to bursting point, pressing players into never-ending employment as if exhaustion and injury were no problem.
      Another summer’s intense competition added to a calendar already dog-eared with fixtures is to flog Grade A players into dog-tired troupers.
      The 32-team competition itself will have five rounds so that finalists could be in the US — favourite to be hosts pre-the World Cup itself in North America — for over three weeks which, if you factor in club pre-season tours, would leave a minimal time to holiday at the usual favoured resting sites: beaches, bars or in Dubai.
      With the exception of one-time winners Chelsea, the existence or at least the credibility of the present seven-team Club World Cup has all the relevance of Red Riding Hood. It is fairly harmless.
      But its successor?
      As a spokesman for LaLiga said: “Fifa continues its malpractice of making unilateral decisions on the world football calendar, showing complete disregard for the importance of national championships and the football community in general.
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      “Fifa completely neglects the economic damage these decisions inflict on leagues around the world.”
      I could not have put it better myself. More

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      Club World Cup format is currently failing, as European giants like Real Madrid dominate and South Americans struggle

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      A LITTLE more than 23 years have passed since Manchester United flew to Brazil to take part in FIFA’s first attempt to organise a Club World Cup.As that competition came to an end, then FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave his verdict; if the tournament was to thrive, he said, then it would have to take up more time, and the Europeans would have to show more solidarity.
      Karim Benzema of Real Madrid lifts the Club World Cup trophy
      The reverse has happened. The Club World Cup was relaunched in 2005 on a basis meant to inconvenience the Europeans as little as possible.
      That inaugural version back in 2000 had eight teams in two groups of four, with the group winners meeting in a final. The teams, then, were playing at least three games, with the finalists playing four.
      The versions  that have come afterwards are pure knock out, with the Europeans and South Americans coming in at the semi final stage, and only playing two games.
      The objective seems to be to get the thing over and done with as soon as possible so that the Europeans can get back to the football that they care about.
      read more Tim Vickery
      It is easy to understand the thinking behind this. Year after year the Club World Cup shows the distance between Europe and the rest of the planet.
      There have been three South American victories; Brazilian sides won in 2005, 2006 and 2012 – all 1-0 wins achieved with a combination of deep defence and the occasional counter attack.
      It would seem to be the only way they can win – and they have not come close in the last decade.
      This is extremely painful for South America. If Europe treats the Club World Cup with disinterest, the same is emphatically not true on the other side of the Atlantic.
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      For a South American team it is the most important date in the club calendar, the dream that is nurtured for months.
      Fans make extraordinary sacrifices to follow their team to the competition, and those who can’t go will often make a point of seeing them off at the airport.
      There is a strong memory of the time – until the turn of the century – when there was no gap between the best of Europe and South America’s finest.
      Every year there is the hope that these times might be coming back – until the pitch reveals its painful truth.
      This year Real Madrid beat Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the final. The Saudis had previously eliminated Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo, the South American champions.
      It is the sixth time since 2005 that the South Americans have lost in the semi final – an event which is becoming increasingly frequent. It is becoming harder to justify the status that the South American champions are given.
      Why should they come straight in at the semi final stage if the evidence points to the conclusion that they are no longer automatically superior to the champions of Asia, Africa or North America?
      The issue of the Club World Cup is likely to become more explosive in the next few years. FIFA acknowledge that the current format has not been a success.
      From 2025 they plan to replace it with a new expanded competition, probably to be held every four years. The idea is to gather 32 teams from around the world and play a proper tournament.
      Last South American triumph at the Club World Cup came in 2012Credit: Reuters
      Sepp Blatter believed the Club World Cup needs more time in a bigger formatCredit: AFP
      This, as Sepp Blatter pointed out all those years ago, needs more time – and finding it will not be easy in an already over-cluttered calendar.
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      And it also needs the cooperation of the Europeans, who at this stage seem dead set against the idea, fearing that the aim is to encroach on the success of the Champions League.
      There is huge potential for conflict here. Many in Europe have not been paying much attention to the Club World Cup. They might end up having to pay attention to an issue that could even lead to a split in FIFA. More

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      Real Madrid 5 Al Hilal 3: Vinicius Jr and Valverde fire Los Blancos to Club World Cup despite Fulham flop’s best efforts

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      REAL MADRID have won the Club World Cup after beating Al-Hilal 5-3 in an entertaining final.The Champions League holders claimed the title thanks to braces from Fede Valverde and Vinicius Jr and one from Karim Benzema.
      Vinicius Jr opened the scoring in the 13th minuteCredit: Getty
      Fede Valverde doubled Real Madrid’s advantageCredit: Getty
      Karim Benzema added a third for the Spanish championsCredit: Getty
      The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has now won the Club World Cup five timesCredit: Reuters
      They are the 10th successive European club to lift the trophy as Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal failed to keep the Spaniards at bay.
      Vinicius opened the scoring in the 13th minute, capping a fine move by sliding the ball past keeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf.
      Valverde doubled the LaLiga giants’ advantage five minutes later when the Uruguayan expertly fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
      Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal did pull a goal back midway through the first half through Moussa Marega as he finished off a lovely through ball from Mohammed Kanno.
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      But Benzema restored Real Madrid’s two-goal cushion nine minutes into the second period, latching onto a Vinicius pass and dispatching prolifically.
      And it was 4-1 before the hour mark as Valverde helped himself to his second of the night, lashing a Dani Carvajal delivery beyond the helpless Al-Mayouf.
      Al-Hilal found a second consolation goal in the 63rd minute through former Fulham man Luciano Vietto.
      But the 14-time European champions were soon three goals to the good once more as Dani Ceballos found Vinicus who made no mistake from close range.
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      Vietto bagged his second of the game to make it 5-3, before Madrid saw it out to claim the title.
      Al Hilal could have made a real game of it, but Moussa Marega missed an open goal to make it 5-4.
      The Club World Cup is Carlo Ancelotti’s team’s first silverware of the season as they sit eight points adrift of Barcelona in LaLiga.
      They previously won the Club World Cup four times between 2014 and 2018.
      And Los Blancos will be hoping this triumph can catapult them to success in the Champions League as they prepare to take on Liverpool in the last-16 later this month.
      Real have won the Club World Cup five times in the last nine yearsCredit: Getty More

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      Why are the Club World Cup referees wearing microphones?

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      FOOTBALL fans have begged for more transparency on refereeing decisions – and they could finally be getting their wish.For all its controversy, the introduction of VAR has helped referees to often make the correct call on several incidents.
      VAR has become a huge part of modern day footballCredit: Getty
      And the semi-automatic offside system played a huge role in decision making at the World Cup.
      However, fans still feel as if they have been left in the dark once a conclusion has been agreed by the match officials.
      But that could all change should this new trial go according to plan.
      Why are the Club World Cup referees wearing microphones?
      The Club World Cup referees have been trialling technology which allows fans in the stadium to hear match officials explaining decisions.
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      It has been set in place for fans to have more transparency on how the referees have come to their decision following a VAR review.
      And the Club World Cup which began on February 1, 2023 is the first event of a 12-month trial period in international contests.
      What has been said?
      The trial was implemented by the International Football Association Board.
      FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina said that the purpose of this trial is to make the VAR intervention more ‘understandable for all’ including spectators watching from home.
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      He said: “As language could be one of the issues, we thought this FIFA Club World Cup would be perfect because it’s a multi-language competition, with teams and, of course, spectators involved coming from all six of the different continents.
      “I have to say that there are other experiences in other sports, namely the NFL in American football, who have been doing this for quite a long time.
      “It seems that the referees are pretty comfortable with this. More

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      Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal – Club World Cup final: Spanish giants looking to crush Saudi champs’ dreams – stream FREE

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      REAL MADRID and Al-Hilal are all set to battle it out for Club World Cup supremacy – and it is not to be missed!Salem Al-Dawsari’s two penalties and Luciano Vietto’s spectacular close-range effort was enough for Al-Hilal to get past ten-men flamingo in Morocco.
      Salem Al-Dawsari’s double inspired Al-Hilal to a 3-2 win against FlamengoCredit: AP
      Real Madrid humiliated Al Ahly 4-1 in the Club World Cup semi-finalCredit: Reuters
      And it meant that Ramon Diaz’s side created history having become the first EVER Saudi side to progress to the Club World Cup final.
      However, Al Hilal will need to put on a masterclass performance if they are to go all the way as they come up against the most decorated team in the competition’s history.
      Furthermore, Los Blancos comfortably beat Al Ahly 4-1 so they’ll be quietly confident that they can get the job done.
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      When is the Club World Cup final 2023 – Real Madrid vs Al Hilal?

      Real Madrid’s mouthwatering final against Al-Hilal will take place on Saturday, February 11.
      It is scheduled to get underway at 7pm GMT – 8pm local time.
      Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco is the allocated arena for this huge encounter and it can host approximately 45,800 fans.
      This will be the first time these two giants have met but Real Madrid is no stranger to this occasion having once won it THREE consecutive times (2016-2018).

      Is the Club World Cup final on TV and can it be live streamed?

      Unfortunately, Real Madrid vs Al Hilal will NOT be broadcast live on TV in the UK.
      However, viewers can head to FIFA+ to catch the entire action.
      Alternatively, SunSport will be bringing fans minute-by-minute coverage of the final.

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      Can I watch it for FREE?
      Yes! Real Madrid’s Club World Cup final against Al-Hilal can be watched for FREE on FIFA plus.
      What is the team news?
      Yasser Al-Shahrani is set to continue to miss out on first-team action due to a sustained fractured jaw.
      But Ramon Diaz has no fresh injury concerns ahead of this huge encounter.
      Elsewhere, Eder Militao, Eden Hazard, Ferland Mendy and Lucas Vazquez are all unlikely to feature.
      And Carlo Ancelotti will be sweating over the fitness of Karim Benzema who also missed out on the semi-final win against Al Ahly. More

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      AL AHLY 1 REAL MADRID 4 LIVE RESULT: Los Blancos book Club World Cup final spot in style after thrashing Egyptian side

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      REAL MADRID have booked their spot in the Club World Cup final having thrashed Al Ahly 4-1.Vinicius Jr’s delightful chip put Real Madrid ahead before Federico Valverde doubled their lead.
      Ali Maaloul pulled one back for the Egyptian side to give Al Ahly a lifeline.
      However, two stoppage-time strikes from Rodrygo and Sergio Arribas sealed the deal for Madrid.

      RESULT: Al Ahly 1-4 Real Madrid
      Live stream: FIFA+
      Real Madrid XI: Lunin, Alaba, Nacho, Rudiger, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Modric, Kroos, Vinicius JR, Rodrygo
      Al Ahly XI: Elshenawy, Maaloul, Metwally, Abdelmonem, Hany, Dieng, Elsoulia, Afsha, Abdelkader, Elshahat, Sherif

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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      That’s all from us!
      Thank you so much for joining us for this game, it was a cracker as we expected.
      If you haven’t quite got your football fix for tonight, then catch a bit more as we cover Manchester United against Leeds.
      Goodnight!
      Man of the Match
      The prestigious SunSport man of the match award tonight goes to Federico Valverde.
      The Uruguayan superstar midfielder was electric for Madrid, and ran the show, while also adding a cheeky goal to his name.
      Vinicius was great too, as was Rodrygo, but the honours go to Fede tonight.
      Valverde was man of the match against Al AhlyCredit: Getty
      A tough test in the final!
      While today’s result looks like it was a walk in the park for Real Madrid, it was far from it.
      Al-Hilal looked like a very dangerous side yesterday, and will pose a really tough test for Madrid in the final.
      Who knows, Odion Ighalo and his boys might just surprise the European champions…
      Odion Ighalo will star for Al-Hilal against Real MadridCredit: Getty
      Vinicius Jr will need to be on top form to get the better of Al-Hilal in the finalCredit: Reuters
      Club World Cup finalists, Real Madrid!
      And it is settled, Real Madrid are in the Club World Cup final, again…
      The eight time winners have yet another chance to win the trophy, but will face a stern test against Odion Ighalo’s Al-Hilal.
      They struggled in parts in this game against the Egyptian champions, but eventually got over the line with relative ease.
      Vinicius Jr opened the scoring with a smart finish, before Valverde made it two just after half-time.
      Al Ahly pulled one back in the second half from the spot, but Real Madrid held on before scoring a third and a fourth in added time.
      FT. Real Madrid 4-1 Al Ahly
      That’s all she wrote in this one, and Real Madrid join Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup final!
      90+8. Real Madrid 4-1 Al Ahly
      Real Madrid get a fourth!It’s Arribas the substitute, he has only just come on!
      90+6. Real Madrid 3-1 Al Ahly
      Two subs for Real Madrid.
      Modric and Rodrygo are replaced by Mariano and Odriozola.
      90+5. Real Madrid 3-1 Al Ahly
      Al Ahly almost get a goal back, but Lunin makes a good save and then pounces on his rebound.
      90+3. Real Madrid 3-1 Al Ahly
      Rodrygo makes it 3-1, another chipped finish from the Brazilian.
      Horrible defending from Al-Ahly, the defenders gave up!
      90. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      There will be eight minutes of added time…
      88. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      It was a weak pen from Luka Modric, not powerful enough or hit with enough direction to beat the keeper.
      Good save.
      86. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Real Madrid have a penalty, and it is Luka Modric who steps up to take it.
      He MISSES!
      85. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Decision: Penalty!
      84. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      There is a VAR review ongoing for a penalty to Real Madrid…
      82. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Al Ahly are pushing for the equaliser, which is leaving them vulnerable to the Real Madrid attacks, particularly their fast breaks with Vinicius Jr.
      80. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      You would back Real Madrid to see this one out from here, but it may be a much tougher test when they face Al-Hilal, who looked impressive yesterday…
      76. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      A long cross-field ball evades Rudiger and almost finds Percy Tau at the back post.
      Just an inch too far for the South African.
      74. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Al Ahly are pushing for an equaliser and pressing high up the pitch.
      A bit too much pressure for Nacho, who moves the ball on and gets his toe stamped on.
      Real Madrid free kick…
      72. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Valverde glides through the Al Ahly defence before eventually losing possession.
      It’s not long before another big challenge comes in on Camavinga…
      70. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Almost an equaliser for Al Ahly!
      They know they can do it here, and they smell blood!They break down the right hand side, and find a ball into the middle, but it is blazed over from close range.
      68. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Just like that, Al Ahly have belief!
      It was slotted home with ease by Maaloul into the bottom left hand corner from the spot.
      65. Real Madrid 2-1 Al Ahly
      Great pen.
      Maaloul gets one back for Al Ahly!
      64. Real Madrid 2-0 Al Ahly
      Penalty to Al Ahly!
      Camavinga with a clumsy tackle and it is a pen for the Egyptian champions…
      62. Real Madrid 2-0 Al Ahly
      Percy Tau is on for Al Ahly!
      The ex-Brighton forward will be looking to make an impact against Real Madrid tonight.
      60. Real Madrid 2-0 Al Ahly
      Real Madrid think they have a penalty for a late challenge on Vinicius Jr, but after a VAR review it is not given and the score stays at 2-0.
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