A FIFA-organized international club football tournament between the winners of the six continental confederations and the league champions of the host country, the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 presented by Visit Saudi for sponsorship reasons, will be the competition’s 20th edition. From December 12 to December 22, 2023, Saudi Arabia will host the competition. This will be the final Club World Cup with seven teams before the competition is expanded to include 32 teams in 2025.
In December, the best men’s football team from each continent will compete for the title of 2023 FIFA Club World Cup winners.
From December 12–22, 2023, seven teams will compete in Saudi Arabia for the title of FIFA Club World Cup winners. Find out how to watch the competition, as well as the complete schedule.
The reigning champions, Real Madrid, will not be able to keep up their success after losing to eventual winners Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2022–2023.
In a knockout competition held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the winners from each of the six continental regions of the sport—Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, Africa, and Asia—as well as one team representing the host country, compete.
The competition will only be played with seven teams for the final time in its 20th edition before expanding to 32 teams starting in 2025.
Real Madrid of Spain is currently the champion after defeating Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia 5-3 in February 2023 in Morocco. However, Real Madrid was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in 2022–2023 by Manchester City, who went on to win the competition for the first time.
Next month, when the Fifa Club World Cup is held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, history will be made. Champions of Europe, Manchester City, will make their tournament debut alongside Egypt’s Al Ahly, South American champions Fluminense, and hosts Al Ittihad. As the last team to guarantee their place in Jeddah, the Brazilian team was confirmed on Saturday.
The champions of the six continental confederations and the most recent league winners of the host country compete in the seven-team Fifa Club World Cup. The competition will make history in 2023 when it returns to the kingdom, with Jeddah serving as the host city. There have been seven previous Gulf-based Club World Cups: two in Qatar and five in the United Arab Emirates.
The tournament next month, however, will be the final one conducted in its current configuration. It will grow to 32 teams for the next edition in 2025. The host country will be the United States.
The 2023 competition takes place from December 12 to December 22, with December 22 serving as both the final and the third-place play-off day.
Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City will host games.
The following seven squads are competing in the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia:
| Region | Team and route |
|---|---|
| Europe | England’s Manchester City qualified by winning the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan and the 2022/23 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla |
| North & Central American | Mexican side Club León qualified following their first-ever CONCACAF tournament win, beating LAFC in 2023 |
| South America | Brazil’s Fluminense FC qualified by winning a fiery Copa Libertadores final against Argentinian Rivals Boca Juniors |
| Asia | Japanese side Urawa Reds beat Saudi’s Al-Hilal to win the AFC Champions League. As Saudi Arabia is the host nation, Al-Ittihad FC also qualify as the current Saudi Pro champions. |
| Africa | Egyptian side Al Ahly FC qualified after seeing off Morocco’s Wydad 3-2 in the CAF Champions League final. |
| Oceania | New Zealand’s Auckland City qualified again following their record eleventh OFC Champions League title, thanks to a 4-2 win over Fijian side Suva. |
Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) – 2022/23 Saudi Pro League winners (2nd)
Manchester City (England) – 2022/23 Uefa Champions League winners (1st)
Fluminense (Brazil) – 2023 Copa Libertadores winners (1st)
Al Ahly (Egypt) – 2022/23 Caf Champions League winners (9th)
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) – 2022 Asian Champions League winners (3rd)
Club Leon (Mexico) – 2023 Concacaf Champions League winners (1st)
Auckland City (New Zealand) – 2023 OFC Champions League nominees (11th)
The championships are made up of seven knockout games, with extra time and penalties added if needed. The third-place match, on the other hand, will proceed directly to penalties if a draw is reached after ninety minutes of play.
Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah will host the games.
Arabian Standard Time (AST) is observed in Saudi Arabia and is two hours ahead of Central European Time (CET) and three hours ahead of GMT/UTC.
| Date | Round | Kick off | Fixture | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tues Dec. 12 | 1st Round | 19:00 CET | Al Ittihad vs. Auckland City | King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah |
| Fri Dec. 15 | 2nd Round | 13:30 CET | Club Leon vs. Urawa Reds | Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah |
| Fri Dec 15. | 2nd Round | 19:00 CET | Al Ahly vs. Al Ittihad OR Auckland City | King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah |
| Mon Dec. 18 | Semi-final 1 | 19:00 CET | Fluminese vs. Al Ahly OR Al Ittihad OR Auckland City | King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah Stadium |
| Tues Dec. 19 | Semi-final 2 | 19:00 CET | Manchester City vs. Club Leon OR Urawa Reds | King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah |
| Fri Dec. 22 | Third place | 15:30 CET | Semi-final 1 loser vs. Semi-final 2 loser | Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah |
| Fri Dec. 22 | Final | 19:00 CET | Semi-final 1 winner vs. Semi-final 2 winner | King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah |
Every match from the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 will be available to watch on Peacock and FOX Sports for viewers in North, Central, and South America.
The matches will air on BBC and ITV for viewers in the UK.
In most regions of the world, FIFA+ will also provide live streaming of the entire competition.
With five Club World Cup wins, Real Madrid is the team with the most. In Abu Dhabi in 2017 and 2018, the Spanish giants took home the third and fourth of those titles. Barcelona, a longtime rival, is ranked second overall after winning three titles. They have experienced success in Abu Dhabi before, in 2009, just like Madrid.
The only other teams with multiple wins are Corinthians and Bayern Munich (2); the other teams that have won the trophy once are Liverpool, AC Milan, Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Chelsea. The latter two, in 2010 and 2021, respectively, also achieved the feat in the capital of the UAE.
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