The inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup for club teams will feature five matches, with the final set for December 18 in Doha, where European Champions League winners Real Madrid will compete, FIFA announced on Friday.
This new tournament replaces the annual Club World Cup, which will now occur every four years with 32 teams starting in 2025.
The competition kicks off on September 22 with AFC Champions League winners Al Ain hosting OFC Champions League winners Auckland City in the African-Asian-Pacific Cup playoff. The winner of that match will face CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly in Cairo on October 29.
The first two matches will be played at the home stadiums of the higher-ranked teams, giving local fans the opportunity to watch their clubs compete.
The tournament then moves to Doha, Qatar, where on December 11 the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners will face Mexican side Pachuca, winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, in what FIFA describes as the "Derby of the Americas."
The winners of these two matches will meet in the Challenger Cup on December 14, with the victor securing a place in the Intercontinental Cup Final against Real Madrid on December 18. This date coincides with Qatar's National Day and marks the two-year anniversary of the 2022 World Cup final, where Argentina defeated France.
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