Qatar to host FIFA Intercontinental Cup final on December 18

The first edition of the annual FIFA Intercontinental Cup for club teams from around the world will have five matches, with European Champions League winners Real Madrid to play in the final on December 18 in Qatar, the world football body said Friday.The tournament, which was announced in December last year, replaces the annual Club World Cup which will now be played every four years with 32 teams from 2025.FIFA has not announced the stadium where the final will be held, although all eyes are on Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final.The FIFA Intercontinental Cup will kick off on September 22 with the first two matches taking place in the countries of the home teams and the remaining games will be played in Qatar.AFC Champions League winners Al Ain will first host OFC Champions League winners Auckland City on September 22 in the African-Asian-Pacific Cup playoff, with the winners set to face CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly in Cairo on October 29.The first two games will be on the home turf of the higher-ranked team, allowing locals to watch their club play. The action then switches to Doha, Qatar, where the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores winners play Mexican side Pachuca, the winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, on Dec. 11 – a match described by FIFA as the "Derby of the Americas".The winners of these two matches play each other in the Challenger Cup three days later to earn a spot in the Intercontinental Cup Final against Real Madrid on December 18.The day is celebrated as Qatar's National Day while it also marks the two-year anniversary of the 2022 World Cup final where Argentina beat France.Qatar is a regular venue for FIFA tournaments. Apart from the historic 2022 World Cup, two editions of the Club World Cup have been held in Qatar. The country will also stage its third global FIFA tournament after the FIFA Council awarded the Gulf state multi-year hosting rights to the FIFA U-17 World Cup between 2025 and 2029.Qatar has also been confirmed as the host of the next three FIFA Arab Cup tournaments in 2025, 2029, and 2033.

• Schedule

Match number: 1Name: African-Asian-Pacific Cup Play-OffDate: September 22, 2024Clubs: Al Ain (AFC Champions League 2023-2024 winners) v. Auckland City (OFC Champions League 2024 winners)Location: Al Ain, United Arab EmiratesMatch number: 2Name: African-Asian-Pacific CupDate: October 29, 2024Clubs: Al Ahly (CAF Champions League 2023-2024 winners) v. African-Asian-Pacific Cup Play-Off winnersLocation: Cairo, EgyptMatch number: 3Name: Derby of the AmericasDate: December 11, 2024Clubs: CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024 winners v. Pachuca (Concacaf Champions Cup 2024 winners)Location: Doha, QatarMatch number: 4Name: Challenger CupDate: December 14, 2024Clubs: Winners of Match 3 v. winners of Match 2Location: Doha, QatarMatch number: 5Name: FIFA Intercontinental Cup FinalDate: 18 December 2024Clubs: Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 winners) v. Challenger Cup winnersLocation: Doha, Qatar