FIFA Club World Cup 2023 draw was held in Jeddah

2023-09-05
16:39:01

Today, Tuesday, the draw ceremony and launch of the official logo of FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 took place, in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, member of FIFA Council.

The draw resulted in a match between the winner of the opening match between the representative of the country, Al-Ittihad, and Auckland City, New Zealand, with the Egyptian team Al-Ahly, the African champion, in the quarter-finals, which will witness a match between the Mexican team Club León, the North American champion, and the Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds, the Asian champion.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from 12 to 22 December, as it will witness 7 strong matches in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The list of matches includes:

- First round (first match) - Tuesday, December 12, 2023 - Al-Ittihad vs Auckland City
- Second round (second match) - Friday, December 15, 2023 - Al-Ahly vs the winner of the first match
- Second round (third match) - Friday, December 15, 2023 - Club Leon vs Urawa Red Diamonds
- Semi-finals (fourth match) - Monday, December 18, 2023 - the winner of Copa Libertadores and the winner of the second match
- Semi-finals (fifthe Match) Tuesday, 19 December, 2023 - the winner of the third match vs Manchester City

The draw ceremony was co-hosted by Samantha Johnson, sports presenter; Jaime Yarza, FIFA's Director of Tournaments, Yaya Toure, former Manchester City star; and Manaf Abushgeer, the former Al-Ittihad star.

The President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation welcomed the guests of the Kingdom, stressing that the successful organization of the ceremony embodies an important station in the Kingdom’s journey to organize an exceptional edition of the Club World Cup and welcome fans of the game from around the world, enabling them to have unique experiences that combine the Kingdom’s great passion for football and hospitality experiences.

Al Misehal added: "In light of Vision 2030, the Kingdom has succeeded in establishing its position as one of the most important and fastest-growing sports destinations in the world, and organizing the 2023 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup is an important step in the ongoing transformation process".

FIFA President said that the Club World Cup brings together the best football clubs in the world and witnesses the participation of 6 champions of continental competitions in addition to the local league champion of the host country, as this exceptional tournament embodies a world-class football summit.

Infantino added that the official draw ceremony reflects the Kingdom's firm commitment to the development of football, amid great anticipation by football fans around the world, as this tournament will contribute to enhancing the spirit of passion and competition between clubs and fans alike, and we look forward to watching strong matches between the world's elite clubs during this prestigious tournament.

The draw ceremony witnessed the organization of an additional paragraph to launch the official identity and logo of the tournament, noting that the official identity of the tournament was inspired by the traditional Al-Sadu inscription and the color of lavender flower, which symbolizes the authentic Saudi hospitality, while it was decided that the sale of tickets for the tournament would begin in the coming days.

It is noteworthy that Jeddah has hosted, in recent years, a number of the most prominent international sporting events, including Supercopa de España, Supercoppa Italiana, stc Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship, and others.