The 2021 FIFA Club World Cup tournament will commence from February 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, as confirmed by FIFA.
It is scheduled to be the 18th edition of the annual competition between the winners of the six continental confederations and league winners of the host country.
Last year’s edition was held in Qatar.
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are the competition’s reigning champions but cannot defend their title following their elimination in the quarter-finals of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League.
MORE: Top 18 best players to watch in the FIFA Club World Cup including Mason Mount, Scarpa, Raphael Veiga
The tournament will feature seven teams from six confederations.
FIFA Club World Cup start date
The 2021 FIFA Club World Cup will start on February 3 and will come to a climax on February 12 2022
FIFA Club World Cup 2021 qualified teams
1. Al Jazira
2. Al Hilal
3. Palmeiras
4. Chelsea
5. CF Monterrey
6. Al Ahly
7. AS Pirae
FIFA Club World Cup Fixtures
First Round
Dates: 3 February 2022
Al Jazira United vs AS Pirae (Match 1)
Second Round
Dates: February 2022
Al Ahly vs Monterrey (Match 2)
Dates: February 2022
Al Hilal vs Winner Match 1 (Match 3)
Match for fifth place
Dates: February 2022
Loser Match 2 Loser Match 3 (Match 5)
Semi-final
Dates: February 2022
Palmeiras vs Winner Match 2 (Match 4)
Dates: February 2022
Winner Match 3 vs Chelsea (Match 6)
Match for third place
Dates: 12 February 2022
Loser Match 6 vs Loser Match 4 (Match 7)
Final
Dates: 12 February 2022
Winner Match 6 vs Winner Match 4 (Match 8)
Teams preview
Al Jazira – (U.A.E Pro League)
Country: United Arab Emirates
League: Pro League
Confederation: AFC
Al Jazira is the defending champion of the United Arab Emirates Pro League.
Al Jazira won their third league title in the 2020/2021 season with three points above second-placed Baniyas.
Top players to watch
- Miloš Kosanović (Defender)
- Bruno Oliveira (Attacker)
- Amer Abdulrahman (Midfielder)
- Yousef Ayman (Midfielder)
- Zayed Al Ameri (Attacker)
Al Jazira stats
The club plays more of an attacking style and has proven to be a goal-scoring side in the United Arab Emirates Pro League.
2. Al-Hilal – (AFC Champions League)
Country: Saudi Arabia
League: Arabian Gulf Pro League
Confederation: AFC
Al Hilal are the defending champions of the AFC Champions League. The Saudi professional soccer club is currently one of the best sides on the Asian continent.
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club is the most successful team, with over 63 official trophies on the domestic and international stage.
The club has won a record 17 league titles, a record 13 Saudi Crown Prince Cups, a record seven Saudi Federation (FA) Cups, nine King Cups, two Saudi Super Cups, etc.
At the international stage, the club has won a record four AFC Champions League and two AFC Super Cups.
The club has represented AFC and Saudi Arabia in the FIFA Club World Cup.
In the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, Al Hilal edged North American representatives CF Monterrey to claim the fourth position.
Al Hilal stats
The team has an array of stars behind the success recorded over the years.
Top players
- Musab Fahz Aljuwayr (Midfielder)
- Matheus Pereira (Midfielder)
- Hyun Soo Jang (Defender)
- Salem Al-Dawsari (Midfielder)
3. Palmeiras – (Copa Libertadores)
Country: Brazil
League: Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Confederation: CONMEBOL
Palmeiras is a Brazilian professional soccer club that competes in the Série A.
Palmeiras is one of the most outstanding teams on the South American continent.
In the last few seasons, Palmeiras have consistently advanced to the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores.
In 2021, the club did the unthinkable by winning the Copa Libertadores at the expense of Flamengo. The club had won the previous edition in 2020.
In total, the club has won three Copa Libertadores titles.
In the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, Palmeiras would represent the South American continent.
Palmeiras stats
Palmeiras is one of the most outstanding soccer teams in Brazil and on the South American continent.
The club boast of having some of the best legs on the continent and have consistently competed for the Campeonato Série A.
Palmeiras remains one of the most respected teams in Brazil. The club has been consistent by keeping their best legs amid offers from Europe.
The team is more of an attacking-minded side with skilful players like Gabriel Barbosa, Dudu, Jailson, Marcos Rocha, etc.
Top players
- Gustavo Scarpa (Midfielder)
- Raphael Veiga (Midfielder)
- Marcos Rocha (Defender)
- Gustavo Gómez (Defender)
- Dudu (Midfielder)
4. Chelsea – (UEFA Champions League)
Country: England
League: Premier League
Confederation: UEFA
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GX0H_EzxXvM
Chelsea is the defending champion of the UEFA Champions League.
The London blues have been transformed to a more stable side in Europe since German tactician Thomas Tuchel.
Thomas has raised his team to the standard of league and Champions League contenders since taking over from Frank Lampard.
Chelsea edged Manchester City to the Champions League trophy in 2020/2021 and will be hoping for their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup title.
Chelsea currently has some of the most exposed players going into the FIFA Club World Cup in February.
The blues truly deserves to be at the big stage and are one of the clear favourites to lift the trophy.
Chelsea stats
Thomas Tuchel has not just brought stability. He’s been able to build consistency in the team.
At least Chelsea players know how to find the back of the net when it matters. Players like Mason Mount, Édouard Mendy Jorginho, and Kante have been rock solid.
Top players at Chelsea
- Trevoh Chalobah (Defender)
- Mateo Kovačić (Midfielder)
- Reece James (Defender)
- Ben Chilwell (Defender)
- Edouard Mendy (Goalkeeper)
5. CF Monterrey – (CONCACAF Champions League)
Country: Mexico
League: Liga MX
Confederation: CONCACAF
Club de Fútbol Monterrey is a Mexican professional soccer club that competes in Liga MX.
CF Monterrey won the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League by beating Club América.
The ‘Rayados’ are one of the most successful Mexican soccer teams historically.
The club has won five Liga MX, three Copa MX, and five CONCACAF Champions League titles.
Although the club has had ups and downs in the domestic scene, more achievements have been recorded in the CONCACAF Champions League.
In terms of performance, CF Monterrey is the strongest club from the CONCACAF region at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The club’s most recent success in the domestic scene was the Apertura 2019 and 2019–20.
CF Monterrey stats
The club has been consistent for the past two seasons, both in the domestic scene and on the international stage.
CF Monterrey top players
- Maximiliano Meza (Midfielder)
- Esteban Andrada (Goalkeeper)
- Arturo González (Midfielder)
- Erick Aguirre (Defender)
- Carlos Rodriguez (Midfielder)
6. Al Ahly Egypt – (CAF Champions League)
Country: Egypt
League: Egyptian Premier League
Al Ahly is the most successful team in Egypt and Africa.
The Reds have won a record ten CAF Champions League titles, including back to back wins on three occasions.
In terms of trophies won, Al Ahly overtook Real Madrid to become the most successful team in the world.
As the most decorated football club in Egypt, Al Ahly has won 42 league titles, 37 FA Cups, 11 Egyptian Super Cups, 10 CAF Champions League and 7 CAF Super Cups.
Al Ahly has represented Africa in most FIFA Club World Cup editions.
Al Ahly stats
Arguably the best team in Africa, Al Ahly boast of having some of the best players in the world.
Al Ahly appears to be dominating almost all competitions it participated in in Egypt and on the African continent.
Top players at Al Ahly Egypt
- Ali Maâloul (Defender)
- Mohamed Magdy Afsha (Midfielder)
- Akram Tawfik (Midfielder)
- Amr Al-Sulaya (Midfielder)
- Hamdi Fathi (Midfielder)
7. AS Pirae – (AFC Champions League)
Country: Tahiti
League: Tahiti Division Fédérale
Confederation: OFC
AS Pirae is a football club in Tahiti. Competing in Tahiti Division Fédérale, the club has won nine league titles.
The OFC nominated the club amid the cancellation of the 2020 edition due to the coronavirus pandemic having already destabilised the competition.
Tournament favourites – Predicting the top three teams
1. Chelsea
Chelsea is the defending Champions of the UEFA champions league.
Under Thomas Tuchel, the Blues have become fearless and confidently taking every game at a time.
Chelsea’s quest for the FIFA Club World Cup continues, and this could be the perfect moment for the club to lift the title for the first time.
The players’ current form could be the only weapon for Chelsea as they hope for a positive outcome when the tournament commences.
2. CF Monterrey
CF Monterrey has been super consistent since the 2021/2022 season.
Aiming for a perfect campaign in the CONCACAF Champions League, the club had to rest their best legs for the showdown against Mexico’s most famous side Club América.
Monterrey won the CONCACAF Champions League by beating Club América in the final, even though deciding to rest the best legs affected their league form.
3. Palmeiras
Palmeiras won the 2021 Copa Libertadores final against Flamengo as the São Paulo based club made back to back wins in the competition.
Palmeiras is one of the big teams to watch when the tournament commences.
What is the prize money?
For the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, the prize money for winners is $10 million US dollars (£7,222,690.00).
The breakdown and money distribution formula for winners of the FIFA Club World Cup
Prize money (USD)
Winner $10 million
Runner-up $6 million
Third place $4 million
Fourth place $3 million
Fifth place $2.5 million
Sixth place $2.5 million
Seventh place $2.5 million
Overall prize money is 29 million dollars.
See the full breakdown of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money
Who are the most successful teams in the competition?
Real Madrid is the most successful team in the competition history with four titles closely followed by Barcelona with three titles.
Brazilian side Corinthians have two titles and were the first team to win the computer in 2000 in an all Brazilian final.
Bayern Munich has also won two titles. Liverpool and Manchester United are the two English teams with one title each.
AC Milan and Inter Milan are the only two Italian teams to have won the competition.
São Paulo, Internacional and Corinthians have held the best record in the competition from the South American block.
Real Madrid – 4 Titles
Barcelona – 3 Titles
Corinthians – 2 Titles
Bayern Munich – 2 Titles
Liverpool – 1 Title
São Paulo – 1 Title
Internacional – 1 Title
AC Milan – 1 Title
Manchester United – 1 Title
Inter Milan – 1 Title
See the complete list of the FIFA Club World Cup winners
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