The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup is set to be played in February in Morocco with seven clubs teams battling it out for the title of world champions. The seven clubs include the defending champions of each region of the world, and an additional spot reserved for the host country. But the latter berth had to be reassigned for 2022, after Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca also became African champions. The 2023 tournament draw was held on Friday, January 13 as the seven clubs found out their potential paths to the world title. The 2023 edition will be the last one played under the current format, making way for a new expanded version in June 2025. The Club World Cup returns to Morocco since it was last played there in 2014. The country was picked to serve as 2023 host, less than two months before the tournament, with two cities staging the matches: Tangier (Stade Ibn Batouta) and Rabat (Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium). Only seven knockout matches are played to determine the world champion to succeed Chelsea from the previous competition.
If there's a draw after regulation time in any of the matches, extra time and penalties (if necessary) will be used to determine a winner except for the third-place match, which skips extra time and goes straight to penalties. There are seven clubs participating in the 2023 tournament. The list features the club champions of six continents, plus an additional p[lace for the host nation's champion that instead was reassigned. Since Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca also won the African Champions League, thus automatically qualifying to the FIFA Club World Cup as African champions, their berth as hosts was passed to the African Champions League runners-up Al Ahly of Egypt.
| Region | Club | How Qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) | CAF Champions League winners |
| Africa | Al Ahly (Egypt) | CAF Champions League runners-up (Assigned host nation berth) |
| Asia | Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) | AFC Champions League winners |
| Europe | Real Madrid (Spain) | UEFA Champions League winners |
| N. America | Seattle Sounders (USA) | CONCACAF Champions League winners |
| Oceania | Auckland City (New Zealand) | OFC Champions League |
| S. America | Flamengo (Brazil) | CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores winners |
2023 FIFA Club World Cup fixtures schedule: The tournament kicked off with the first two rounds of matches involving the clubs from Africa, Oceania, Asia, and North America. The European (Real Madrid) and South American champions (Flamengo) enter the fray at the semi-final stage.
First Round on Feb 1st: African runners-up Al Ahly (Egypt) handily beat Oceania champions Auckland City (New Zealand) 3-1 and the Egyptian side advanced to the Second Round to play MLS side Seattle Sounders winning 0-1. Wydad drew with Al Hilal 1-1 losing 3-5 on pens.
Asian champions Al Hilal, African champions Wydad Casablanca, and North American champions Seattle Sounders joined first-round winner Al Ahly to determine which two teams would advance to the semifinals.
2023 FIFA Club World Cup match schedule
| Date | Round | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Feb. 1 | 1st Rd | Al Ahly 3-0 Auckland City |
| Sat, Feb. 4 | 2nd Rd | Seattle Sounders 0-1 Al Ahly |
| Sat, Feb. 4 | 2nd Rd | Wydad Casablanca 1-1 Al Hilal (Al Hilal advanced 5-3 on penalties) |
| Tue, Feb. 7 | Semi-final | Flamengo vs. Al Hilal 2-3 Final tie 12th 19.00 |
| Wed, Feb. 8 | Semi-final | Al Ahly vs. Real Madrid 1-4 Final tie 12th 19.00 |
| Sat, Feb. 11 | 3rd Place | Flamengo (one red card) vs. Al Ahly 4-2 as I type 90'+ |
FIFA Club World Cup champions all-time. Between 1960 and 2004 the club champions of Europe and South America faced off in a single-match showdown for the Intercontinental Cup, widely accepted as crowning the best club team in the world. Of those 43 editions held, a European side won 21 times and South American clubs were champions on 22 occasions.
But at the turn of the century, FIFA decided that it was time to expand and allow clubs from other continents to participate, launching the FIFA Club World Cup in 2000. After the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner ISL, FIFA had to put the idea on hiatus and resumed it in 2005, this time replacing the Intercontinental Cup for good. Below is a full rundown of all the FIFA Club World Cup winners and runners-up since the current tournament format was introduced in 2000. Spanish side Real Madrid have won the trophy a record four times, and will be hoping to add a fifth title in 2023.
Past FIFA Club World Cup winners all-time:
| Year | Host | Winner | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Brazil | Corinthians | 0-0 (4-3 PKs) | Vasco da Gama |
| 2005 | Japan | Sao Paulo | 1-0 | Liverpool |
| 2006 | Japan | Internacional | 1-0 | Barcelona |
| 2007 | Japan | AC Milan | 4-2 | Boca Juniors |
| 2008 | Japan | Man United | 1-0 | LDU Quito |
| 2009 | UAE | Barcelona | 2-1 (a.e.t.) | Estudiantes |
| 2010 | UAE | Inter Milan | 3-0 | TP Mazembe |
| 2011 | Japan | Barcelona | 4-0 | Santos |
| 2012 | Japan | Corinthians | 1-0 | Chelsea |
| 2013 | Morocco | Bayern Munich | 2-0 | Raja Casablanca |
| 2014 | Morocco | Real Madrid | 2-0 | San Lorenzo |
| 2015 | Japan | Barcelona | 3-0 | River Plate |
| 2016 | Japan | Real Madrid | 4-2 (a.e.t.) | Kashima Antlers |
| 2017 | UAE | Real Madrid | 1-0 | Gremio |
| 2018 | UAE | Real Madrid | 4-1 | Al-Ain |
| 2019 | Qatar | Liverpool | 1-0 (a.e.t.) | Flamengo |
| 2020 | Qatar | Bayern Munich | 1-0 | Tigres UANL |
| 2022 | UAE | Chelsea | 2-1 (a.e.t.) | Palmeiras |
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