Coach Marcel Koller will open the Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams for the first time, with Al Ahly next summer. The Egyptians will face Inter Miami, Lionel Messi's club, on June 15 in Miami.
05.12.2024, 21:06
05.12.2024, 22:47
SDA
The draw for the tournament, which is organized by FIFA and criticized by many players, took place on Thursday in Miami with many celebrities in attendance and divided the 32 teams into eight groups. The event will take place from June 15 to July 13 in twelve American stadiums. The final will take place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the New York Giants and New York Jets football teams will play their home games.
In addition to Marcel Koller from Zurich, who has won the African Champions League with Al Ahly in the last two years, six other Swiss players could be taking part in the premiere. Manuel Akanji will play with Manchester City in a group with Juventus Turin, the Moroccans from Wydad and Al Ain from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Gregor Kobel and Dortmund will face Fluminense from Rio de Janeiro, the South Koreans from Ulsan and the South Africans from Mamelodi. Zeki Amdouni and Benfica Lisbon are in a group with Bayern Munich, Auckland City and Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires.
Bryan Okoh, under contract with Salzburg, is up against Real Madrid, Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia and the Mexicans from Pachuca. Yann Sommer was drawn with Inter Milan in a group with Boca Juniors' city rivals River Plate, the Mexicans of Monterrey and the Japanese of Urawa Red Diamonds. Stefan Frei, the third Swiss goalkeeper in a Club World Cup team, will captain the Seattle Sounders and face Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid and the Brazilians of Botafogo, who won the Copa Libertadores a few days ago.
The groups:
Group A: Palmeiras (BRA), FC Porto, Al Ahly (EGY, Marcel Koller/coach), Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Botafogo (BRA), Seattle Sounders (Stefan Frei).
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City (NZL), Boca Juniors (ARG), Benfica Lisbon (Zeki Amdouni).
Group D: Flamengo (BRA), Espérance de Tunis, Chelsea, Club Léon (MEX).
Group E: River Plate (ARG), Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), Monterrey (MEX), Inter Milan (Yann Sommer).
Group F: Fluminense (BRA), Borussia Dortmund (Gregor Kobel), Ulsan (KOR), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA).
Group G: Manchester City (Manuel Akanji), Wydad (MAR), Al Ain (UAE), Juventus Turin.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal (KSA), Pachuca (MEX), Salzburg (Bryan Okoh).
The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16.
