FIFA Club World Cup 2021™ tournament preview

The tournament usually sees the winners of the elite continental club competitions in Asia (the AFC), Africa (CAF), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (the OFC) and Europe (UEFA) all come together to compete for the title of world club champions.

The host nation also nominates a team to represent it, with Al Jazira taking their place in the line-up on this occasion, alongside Al Ahly (Egypt), Monterrey (Mexico), Al Hilal SFC (Saudi Arabia), Palmeiras (Brazil) and Chelsea (England). Pirae (Tahiti) have been nominated as the OFC representatives, following the reluctant withdrawal of Auckland City (New Zealand) due to the ongoing pandemic.

Bayern Munich were the last winners of the competition, defeating Mexico’s Tigres UANL 1-0, while Real Madrid have the most FIFA Club World Cup™ titles to their name, having won the tournament four times since it was first contested (as the FIFA Club World Championship) in 2000. 

UEFA representatives have claimed the trophy 13 times, while CONMEBOL champions have won it on four occasions. No club from the AFC, CAF, Concacaf or the OFC have won the FIFA Club World Cup to date.

Al Jazira were nominated as the host nation’s representatives, having been crowned UAE Pro League champions in 2020-21 to clinch the third league title in their history. Dutch head coach Marcel Keizer had spells at Ajax as both a player and a manager before taking over at Al Jazira in 2018. This is his second stint at the helm of the reigning UAE champions, whom he rejoined after winning a domestic cup double with Lisbon giants Sporting in 2019.

Al Jazira come into the tournament after a good start to 2022, having won three out of four games, including securing the UAE Super Cup on penalties against Dubai-based Shabab Al Ahli.

The host club will enter the competition in the first round and will play Pirae on 3 February.

Al Ahly take their place in the 2021 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup as CAF Champions League 2020-2021 winners, having claimed the title for a record-extending tenth time. They are the most decorated football club in Egypt and the most successful side in African football history. Real Madrid are the only club in world football to have won more international trophies than Al Ahly. 

Managed by Pitso Mosimane, one of South Africa’s most prominent football coaches, Al Ahly come into the tournament top of the Egyptian Premier League after seven matches and off the back of winning the CAF Super Cup in December, in which they beat Raja Casablanca on penalties.

With many of their players competing at the AFCON, Al Ahly’s recent matches have seen several reserves and U23 players get the opportunity to play for the first team.

Al Ahly will enter the competition in the second round, where they will face Monterrey on 5 February.

Mexican outfit Monterrey have finished third in the FIFA Club World Cup on two occasions (2012 and 2019) and qualified for this year’s competition after defeating fellow Mexican side Club América to claim their fifth Concacaf Champions League title. 

The Rayados are seventh in the Liga MX, having won one and drawn two of their first three games of the 2022 Clausura season. Monterrey are managed by Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, who represented his country 59 times at senior level, including at the 1986 FIFA World Cup™. He also managed his country at the 2002 and 2010 editions of the FIFA World Cup™ and has had spells in charge of Atlético Madrid and Espanyol, among others, in addition to as head coach of the Egyptian national team. 

Monterrey will enter the competition at the second-round stage and will play Al Ahly on 5 February at the Al Nahyan Stadium. This is the home ground of Al Wahda, where Aguirre had a two-year stint in charge from 2015 until 2017, so it is a venue he will know well.

Champions of the Saudi Pro League, Al Hilal qualified for this year’s competition after winning their fourth AFC Champions League title, defeating Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers 2-0 in the final. 

Sitting fourth in this season’s Saudi Pro League after 17 matches, Al Hilal make short the trip to Abu Dhabi with two wins and a draw in their last three league outings, and they also won the Saudi Super Cup in January, beating Al Faisaly on penalties.

The club are managed by Leonardo Jardim, who has previously coached the likes of Monaco, Sporting, Olympiacos and Braga.

Al Hilal enter the competition in the second round, on 6 February, when they will face the winners of the first-round match between Al Jazira and Pirae.

Despite only finishing third in Brazil’s 2021 Série A, Palmeiras went on to win the CONMEBOL Libertadores and qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup as the CONMEBOL representatives. The São Paulo-based club defeated fellow Brazilian side Flamengo 2-1 after extra time in the showcase final, claiming their third title in the process.

Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira took over the Palmeiras reins in October 2020, after spells in charge of PAOK and Braga.

The South American champions enter the FIFA Club World Cup 2021 at the semi-final stage, where they will face the winners of the second-round match between Al Ahly and Monterrey. The game will be played on 8 February at the Al Nahyan Stadium.

After finishing fourth in the Premier League in 2020-21, Chelsea went on to win the UEFA Champions League to secure their place in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Blues beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 in the final, which was played in Portugal.

Chelsea are currently in the middle of their domestic season and will play Liverpool in the League Cup final on 27 February. 

Head coach Thomas Tuchel was recently named The Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2021 after winning the Champions League in his debut season. Hailing from Germany, Tuchel took over at Borussia Dortmund in 2015, following Jürgen Klopp’s departure.

In 2018, he was appointed head coach of PSG, whom he guided to the Champions League final in 2020, where they were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich. 

Chelsea enter the competition at the semi-final stage and will face the winners of Al Hilal v. Al Jazira/Pirae on 9 February at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.

Pirae are the 2020-21 Tahiti Ligue 1 champions, having clinched the title for the tenth time in their history. They were nominated by the OFC to participate, after the 2021 OFC Champions League was cancelled due to COVID-19. Auckland City had originally been nominated, but they withdrew after the reintroduction of mandatory quarantine restrictions in New Zealand.

Head coach Naea Bennett has played for and managed the Tahitian national team. He has also represented Tahiti’s national beach soccer team. 

Pirae are currently third in their domestic league after eight matches and enter this tournament at the first-round stage, where they will play Al Jazira on 3 February in the opening game.

The full match schedule can be found here: