New Delhi: The FIFA Club World Cup’s first draw was held in Miami today, December 5 at 11 P.M, (IST). FIFA has made sure Lionel Messi will be the main attraction in this competition, which will look very different from what everyone is used to. Seven teams from the six FIFA confederations competed in seven matches over 11 days at a single central host in the previous iteration of the Club World Cup.
With 63 games spread across 28 days, 32 teams will travel to the United States to compete for the title for the best club team in the world over the previous four seasons. It is similar to the previous UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup formats. After being divided into eight groups of four, the 32 clubs play one another before moving on to a knockout round.
All set. 🏆✨ pic.twitter.com/vp8pkRSET7
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 5, 2024
The winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16, which consists of quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. If a match ends in a draw, the winner advances based on extra time and penalties. However, with respect to this format, teams were allocated in groups, that suggested we will have some exciting clashes in the tournament.
Group A
There will be a few interesting battles out there with the most eye catching fixture being FC Porto facing Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. Meanwhile, it would be a close contest between the four sides who would be willing to prevail.
SE Palmeiras
FC Porto
Al Ahly FC
Inter Miami
Group B
A group consisting of two major European giants, as it will be atreat to watch Paris Saint-Germain going head to head against Atletico Madrid in a UEFA Champions League 2024/25 re-match.
Paris Saint-Germain
Atletico De Madrid
Botafogo
Seattle Sounders FC
Group C
Bayern would certainly be the favourites to win this group with their firepower, but do not doubt the capabilities of the Portuguese giants Benfica, as it will be interesting to see if any of the three sides could cause an upset against the Bavarians.
Bayern Munich
Aukland City FC
CA BOCA Juniors
SL Benfica
Group D
Another group where the English side Chelsea will be the favourites to top the group, but any sort of upset is very much possible with Brazilian side Flamengo also looking to top the group.
Flamengo
Esperence Sportive De Tunisie
Chelsea
Club Leon
Group E
A contest between River Plate and Inter Milan might just be the most eye-catching clash in this group, but there will be no shortage of drama as we might witness a few upsets down the road.
River Plate
Urawa Red Diamonds
CF Monterrey
FC Internazionale Milano
Group F
It will be interesting to see how Borussia Dortmund will be planning to top the group, being the favourites to do so with Fluminense, Ulsan and Sundowns, all looking to upset the Germans.
Fluminense
Borussia Dortmund
Ulsan HD
Mamelodi Sundowns FC
Group G
A group where two of the European powerhouses will face each other, as it will be a treat to watch the defending Club world Cup champions, Manchester City going head to head against the Italian giants, Juventus.
Manchester City
Wydad AC
Al Ain FC
Juventus FC
Group H
The Spanish champions Real Madrid will be the clear favourites to top the final group, with Al Hilal, Pachuca and Salzburg hoping to cause massive upsets down the road.
Real Madrid
AL Hilal
CF Pachuca
FC Salzburg
The Club World Cup draw ceremony was held tonight, as the fixtures and groups were finalised for the tournament that will begin in June 2025 Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
