Club World Cup draw: Man City start against Club Leon or Urawa Reds

Manchester City will face Club Leon or Urawa Reds in their opening match at the Club World Cup.

City have qualified for the first time after winning the 2022-23 Champions League and start their campaign in the semi-finals.

Mexican side Club Leon are the reigning Concacaf champions and Urawa Reds of Japan won the AFC Champions League.

The tournament takes place in Saudi Arabia between 12-22 December with seven teams involved.

Jeddah hosted the draw on Tuesday and all games in the Fifa tournament will be staged in the city.

Entry is secured by winning one of the six continental confederation tournaments, while an additional place is granted for the host nation’s league champions.

That means there are places for Egyptian outfit Al Ahly, who won the CAF Champions League, OFC Champions League winners Auckland City from New Zealand, and Al-Ittihad, who represent Saudi Arabia after landing the 2022-23 Pro League title.

There is still one place up for grabs with the the Copa Libertadores yet to conclude. Boca Juniors, Palmeiras, Fluminense and Internacional are the four clubs remaining in the South American tournament with the final scheduled for 4 November.

Should City come through their semi-final, they have four potential opponents to meet in the final – the Copa Libertadores champions, Al Ahly, Al-Ittihad or Auckland City.

This will be the 20th Fifa Club World Cup and the last one in its current format, with the competition expanding to 32 teams in 2025.

The last 10 editions have won by a European team, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea the only three Premier League clubs to triumph.

Real Madrid were champions last year, beating Al-Hilal 5-3 in the final in Rabat, Morocco. – bbc.com