REAL MADRID
Real Madrid eye more 24/25 season silverware at next months Intercontinental Cup
On 18 December in the Qatari capital, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will face Pachuca, Al Ahly or the Libertadores champion in the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental final.
Two decades after its last edition was played to make way for the Club World Cup, FIFA have resurrected the Intercontinental Cup to maintain the annual clash between the continental champions of the six confederations, now without a host.
With the new look expanded 32 team Club World Cup set to be played every four years (the first edition will take place next summer in the US from June 15 to July 13) the Intercontinental Cup is back on the already packed football calendar, with a format undergoing a series of changes. The most significant development sees the European champion (Real Madrid this year) fast-tracked to the final.
As a result, on 18 December, Real Madrid will be involved in the final against an, as yet unknown rival with Carlo Ancelotti eyeing the second of the seven titles the club could potentially win this season after winning the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw last August.
Intercontinental Cup format
The new Intercontinental Cup consists of five matches with two have already been played. The first round between the champions of Asia and Oceania was played in Abu Dhabi on 22 September. The UAE’s Al Ain defeated Auckland City of New Zealand (6-2).
The second round was played last Tuesday, with the Egyptian giants Al Ahly beating Al Ain (3-0). These first two matches are part of what FIFA has called the Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup.
The other three matches of the tournament will be played as a final phase in Qatar. On 11 December, Mexican side Pachuca (CONCACAF Champions winners) will face the Copa Libertadores champions (the all Brazilian final will be played between Botafogo and Atlético Mineiro on 30 November) in what FIFA has come to call the Derby of the Americas.
The winner of this tie will face Al Ahly on 14 December in the Challenger Cup. The winner of this Challenger Cup will then face Real Madrid on Wednesday, 18 December 18 (with a 11:00 am ET start) in the final for the title. The first two matches will be in Doha at the Stadium 974 and the final will be played at the Lusail Stadium, coinciding with the second anniversary of the World Cup final that was played in the same venue and in which Argentina emerged champion after defeating France in extra time.
Under the new format, any non-European team that wants to win the Intercontinental Cup must navigate at least three games to become, which differed to the previous Club World Cup setup where both the South American and European champions needed only two games to win the title.
Participating teams
♠ Real Madrid (Spain). Under the new format, the European champions directly qualify for the final. Madrid won the Champions League by beating Dortmund (2-0, with goals from Carvajal and Vinicius) in the final played at Wembley on June 1.
♠ Al Ahly (Egypt). The most successful team on the banks of the Nile won the African Champions League in May after defeating Tunisian Esperance in the final (0-0 in the first leg and 1-0 in the return leg in Cairo). They will play the semi-final after eliminating Al Ain this past Tuesday in the second round of this Intercontinental Cup. Madrid already faced and won (1-4) Al Ahly in the semi-finals of the 2022 Club World Cup.
♠ Pachuca (Mexico). The Mexican team won the Concacaf Champions League by beating MLS side Columbus Crew 3-0 in the final also played on June 1. The Spaniard Borja Bastón and other former LaLiga players such as Idrissi, Salomón Rondón and captain Gustavo Cabral play for Los Tuzos.
♠ Libertadores Cup winners. The only team whose presence in Qatar has yet to be confirmed is the South American champion. Two Brazilian teams (Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo) will contest the final on November 30 at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. The winner will face Pachuca on December 11 in Doha.
♠ Already eliminated. Al Ain (United Arab Emirates) and Auckland City (New Zealand).