Man City will play Club Leon or Urawa Red Diamonds in the Club World Cup.
Following the draw on Tuesday, European champions Manchester City will meet Club Leon of Mexico or Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the Fifa Club World Cup semi-finals in December in Saudi Arabia.
The Copa Libertadores winners will face either Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, Auckland City of New Zealand, or Egypt’s Al Ahly in the other semi-final.
The league will begin with a match between the host nation’s champions, Saudi Pro League winners Al-Ittihad, and Auckland City.
Man City will play Club Leon or Urawa Red Diamonds in the Club World Cup.
Al-Ittihad will look to replicate Al-Hilal’s journey to the final last year, when they became the first Saudi club to do so. They were defeated in the final by Real Madrid, the competition’s most successful club with five trophies.
There are no past holders in this year’s edition as of yet. Internacional of Brazil is the only previous winner who might still compete for the final open spot.
Conmebol’s participant will be revealed only after the Copa Libertadores final on November 4, which features Argentina’s Boca Juniors and Brazil’s Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Internacional.
The Club World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, from December 12 to 22, as announced in February. The competition will be held in two locations in Jeddah.
The 2023 edition will be the final of the present structure – an annual competition with seven teams — before it is expanded to a 32-team event in the United States in 2025.
Club World Cup draw:
First Round
Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) v Auckland City (New Zealand)
Second Round
Al Ahly(Egypt) v Al-Ittihad/Auckland City
Club Leon (Mexico) v Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
Semi-finals
Conmebol Representative v Al Ahly/Al-Ittihad/Auckland City
Leon/Urawa Red Diamonds v Manchester City (England) — Reuters
