Al Ain are set to take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at next year’s revamped Club World Cup, following the tournament draw on Thursday evening.
Al Zaeem will also face 36-time Serie A champions Juventus and Morocco’s most decorated club, Wydad Athletic Club, when the competition kicks off in June in the United States.
The revamped format introduces a group stage featuring eight groups of four teams, with each team playing three matches against their group opponents. The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16, leading to a single-elimination knockout stage that will run through to the final. The new format also eliminates the third-place play-off.
This expanded competition is a significant departure from the previous version, which included only seven teams and four rounds. The UAE hosted the old format five times between 2009 and 2021, with Al Ain famously reaching the final in 2018, where they faced Real Madrid.
Al Ain earned their spot in the 2025 edition thanks to their triumph in last season’s AFC Champions League, where they defeat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and ended Al Hilal’s s record 34 game winning streak en route to lifting continental silverware for the second time in their history.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will kick off FIFA's new 32-team Club World Cup when the Major League Soccer side take on Egypt's Al Ahly in the June 15 opener.
Brazilian team Palmeiras and Portugal's Porto complete Group A alongside Argentina World Cup winner Messi whose Miami team were handed a spot by FIFA after finishing top of the regular season standings in MLS.
Messi's former Barcelona team-mate, Brazilian Neymar, will have a reunion with La Liga rivals and European champions Real Madrid in Group H.
Paris Saint-Germain were drawn in a tough group with Atletico Madrid, Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo of Brazil and Seattle Sounders.
Club officials and former players gathered for Thursday's draw in Miami and US President-elect Donald Trump sent his best wishes in a video message before the ceremony, which took place during a 90-minute live broadcast from a television studio in Miami.
The final of the tournament will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.
FIFA had struggled to find sponsors and broadcasters for the new tournament but on Wednesday announced a global deal with streaming company DAZN, who will show the games for free.
FIFA has faced opposition from some in the game over the new tournament.
FIFpro and the European Leagues body filed a joint complaint to the European Commission against FIFA over the introduction of the tournament into the international match calendar.
Opponents of the new tournament have said it adds further congestion to an already crowded schedule and increases the workload of players.
With inputs from AFP
