Continental champions from around the globe are competing for the FIFA Club World Cup, with the 2022 edition held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Chelsea, fresh off its Champions League conquest last summer, is the European representative after reaching the summit of the UEFA continental competition. The Blues are the overwhelming favorite in the tournament, as the European representative usually is, and they play in the final against South America’s Palmeiras.
This year’s competition is officially branded as the “2021 Club World Cup” even though it is taking place in 2022, as it was originally scheduled for June and July of last year.
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The competition was meant to be an expanded edition, to take place in China, but was pushed back and moved due to fixture congestion stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. It was initially moved to the fall and set to take place in Japan, but Japan dropped that commitment in September, leaving FIFA to re-open bidding and select the UAE.
FIFA Club World Cup Format
The Club World Cup was first established in 2000 as a way of determining the top club team in the world, taking continental champions from the previous season and putting them together in a knockout tournament format.
The competition is now in its 18th edition, having been held every year since 2005 and hosted by a variety of nations around the world.
Seven teams come together for a modified knockout tournament, with the bracket preconfigured to ensure the high-profile clubs from Europe and South America only play a maximum of two matches in the tournament and do not meet until a potential final.
The UEFA Champions League (Europe) and Copa Libertadores (South America) title winners are given byes to the semifinals, while three clubs from Asia, Africa, and North America are slotted into the second round. Two more clubs, from Oceania and the host nation (UAE), are given entry in the first round which essentially represents a play-in match.
While there were plans for an expanded edition of the tournament in 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic forced FIFA to revert to the traditional format for this year’s tournament.
Which teams are in 2022 FIFA Club World Cup?
Outside of the team representing the host nation, the other six teams qualified as continental champions from their respective confederation.
In 2022 the host nation representative was the reigning champion from the domestic league (Al-Jazira). And since the Oceania confederation was forced to cancel its Champions League tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it nominated its representative (AS Pirae) instead of using a qualifying competition.
While it was predetermined where each team entered into the competition, a draw was still necessary to determine on which side of the bracket the seeded teams (Chelsea and Palmeiras) would fall. That draw took place on November 29 involving the following teams:
| Club | Confederation | How Qualified | Appearances (Last) |
Entered Into |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea (England) | Europe | 2020-21 UEFA Champions League | 2nd (2012) | Semifinals |
| Palmeiras (Brazil) | South America | 2020-21 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores | 2nd (2020) | Semifinals |
| Al Hilal (S. Arabia) | Asia | 2020-21 AFC Champions League | 2nd (2019) | 2nd Round |
| Al Ahly (Egypt) | Africa | 2020-21 CAF Champions League | 7th (2020) | 2nd Round |
| Monterrey (Mexico) | North America | 2020-21 CONCACAF Champions League | 5th (2019) | 2nd Round |
| Al-Jazira (UAE) | Asia (hosts) | 2020-21 UAE Pro League champions | 2nd (2017) | 1st Round |
| AS Pirae (Tahiti) | Oceania | Nominated by OFC | 1st (First app.) | 1st Round |
How to Watch 2022 FIFA Club World Cup in USA
- Dates: Feb. 3, 2022 – Feb. 12, 2022
- Times (ET): 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
- TV Channels: FS1, FS2
- Spanish-language TV: Fox Deportes
- Streaming: fuboTV, Fox Sports Live
The 2022 FIFA Club World Cup will be broadcast in the USA on FS1, FS2 (English) and Fox Deportes (Spanish).
Those channels are available to stream fuboTV which is available to new users on a free trial.
2022 FIFA Club World Cup Schedule & TV
The Club World Cup began Thursday, February 3 with the opening round matchup, as host representative Al-Jazira topped OFC’s AS Pirae from Tahiti. Al-Jazira got goals from four different scorers, including Mali international Abdoulay Diaby, who formerly starred for teams in Europe.
| Date | Round | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Feb. 3 | 1st Round | Al Jazira 4, AS Pirae 1 | Highlights |
Second Round
The second round takes place over the weekend, with Liga MX side Monterrey succumbing to Egyptian club Al Ahly.
With Egypt progressing through to the final of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, Al Ahly had a seriously weakened side, missing players such as goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and attacker Mohamed Sherif, who were with the national team.
| Date | Round | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb. 5 | 2nd Round | Al Ahly 1, Monterrey 0 | Highlights |
| Sun, Feb. 6 | 2nd Round | Al Hilal 6, Al Jazira 1 | Highlights |
Semifinals
The strongest sides entered the competition in the semifinal, as Chelsea and Palmeiras both took the field and earned shutout wins.
| Date | Round | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tues, Feb. 8 | Semifinal 1 | Palmeiras 2, Al Ahly 0 | Highlights |
| Wed, Feb. 9 | Semifinal 2 | Chelsea 1, Al Hilal 0 | Highlights |
5th Place Match
The fifth-place match was an early-morning slate between the losers from the second round matches.
| Date | Round | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Feb. 9 | 5th Place | Al Jazira 1, Monterrey 3 | Highlights |
3rd Place Match
The semifinal losers drop into the third-place match.
Egypt’s Al Ahly finished in third place for the second consecutive tournament, taking advantage of two first-half red cards to Al Hilal.
| Date | Round | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb. 12 | 3rd Place | Al Ahly 4, Al Hilal 0 | Highlights |
Final
The semifinal winners reached the final on Saturday, February 12, when a new champion will be crowned, succeeding 2020 champions Bayern Munich. Palmeiras and Chelsea have never won the competition in their respective club history.
| Date | Round | Match | Time (ET) | TV & Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb. 12 | Final | Palmeiras vs. Chelsea | 11:30 a.m. | FS2, Fox Deportes, fuboTV |