The inaugural edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup will feature five matches, with European Champions League winners Real Madrid automatically advancing to the final, scheduled for 18 December in Doha, according to an announcement from FIFA on Friday, September 20, 2024.
This tournament, which was revealed last December, replaces the annual Club World Cup.
The new format will see the Club World Cup played every four years starting from 2025, with 32 teams competing.
AFC Champions League winners Al Ain will host OFC Champions League winners Auckland City on 22 September in the first match of the competition.
The winners of that match will then face CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly in Cairo on 29 October.
The first two matches will be held at the home venues of the higher-ranked teams.
Following these matches, the competition will shift to Doha, Qatar.
On Wednesday, December 11, the winners of the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores will face Mexican side Pachuca, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, in a fixture FIFA has dubbed the “Derby of the Americas”.
The winners of these two fixtures will meet three days later in the Challenger Cup, with the victor earning a spot in the Intercontinental Cup Final against Real Madrid on 18 December.
This final will coincide with Qatar’s National Day and marks the second year anniversary of the 2022 World Cup final.
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