Author: Fri, 2022-02-04 15:50
ABU DHABI: Saudi champions Al-Hilal have arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 as they look to become the first Asian Football Confederation representative in history to win the tournament.
Taking place in the UAE until Feb. 12, the FIFA Club World Cup will feature five continental champions — Al-Hilal (AFC), Monterrey (Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football), Al-Ahly (Confederation of African Football), Chelsea (UEFA), and Tahiti league champions A.S. Pirae, representing the Oceania Football Confederation — along with last year’s UAE Pro League winners, Al-Jazira, who will represent the host nation.
Al-Hilal will be looking to overcome their rivals and make history for the Asian confederation, which has had two finalists but never a winner.
Japan’s Kashima Antlers were runners-up in 2016, while the UAE’s Al-Ain came second in 2018, with Spanish giants Real Madrid the champions on both occasions.
Having finished fourth in the 2019 edition, Al-Hilal will become the first two-time Saudi Arabia representatives in Club World Cup history, with domestic rivals Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad the country’s other two previous competitors.
Al-Hilal will face-off against Al-Jazira following the UAE champions’ comfortable opening match victory against A.S. Pirae on the first night of the tournament. Arab fans around the world will be anticipating the second round’s mouth-watering all-Arab clash between both Gulf teams on Sunday, Feb. 6 for the right to take on UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea in the semifinals just three days later.
The other half of the draw gets underway on Saturday as Al-Ahly face Monterrey at Al-Nahyan Stadium, which also hosts the first semifinal on Feb. 8 in a contest that will feature the winner against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras.
The tournament concludes on Saturday, Feb. 12 with the third-place playoff at Al-Nahyan Stadium before the final gets underway at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium to crown the 18th FIFA Club World Cup champion.
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