Pep Guardiola’s side qualified for the tournament having been named Champions of Europe for the first time in our history.
With an expanded format to follow in 2025, our success has also guaranteed our place in that edition.
All the details you need ahead of that tournament are below…
What is the FIFA Club World Cup?
The FIFA Club World Cup sees seven teams competing to be champions, with the winners of the leading competition in each of the six populated continents and the host nation’s national champions participating in a straight knock-out tournament.
The host nation’s champions face the Oceania representatives for the right to join the Asia, Africa and North America champions in the quarter-finals.
The European and South American champions join the tournament at the semi-final stage.
This will be the last seven-team Club World Cup before the tournament is expanded to 32 teams in 2025.
When is the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup?
This year’s tournament will be played between 12 and 22 December 2023.
As European champions, we will not enter until the semi-final stage so our competition will not start until 19 December.
Who will City play in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup?
City will enter the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup at the semi-final stage with a game against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.
That match will be played at King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah at 18:00 (UK) on Tuesday 19 December.
Victory in that game would see us progress to the final, played at 18:00 (UK) on Friday 22 December.
Should we lose the semi-final, we will play in the third place play-off at 14:30 (UK) on Friday 22 December.
Where will the 2023 FIFA World Cup be played?
This year’s tournament will be played in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
Jeddah is the host city for all matches, with its two stadiums used across the competition.
King Abdullah Sports City will host five of the seven matches including City’s semi-final and the final itself. The 62,345 capacity stadium was opened in 2014.
Two matches, including the third place play-off, will be played at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. The 27,000 all-seater was opened in 1970 and expanded in 2021.
Japan has been host of the tournament more than anyone else, with eight editions taking place there.
It has been played in the United Arab Emirates on five occasions, Morocco three times and Qatar twice since the inaugural tournament was hosted in Brazil back in 2000.
Who else is in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup?
City were the fifth team to confirm a place at this year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Auckland City of New Zealand won the Oceania Champions League and faced Saudi Arabian national champions Al-Ittihad in the first round, with Al-Ittihad winning their clash 3-0.
Entering in the second round will be Asian Champions League winners Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan, CONCACAF Champions League winners Leon from Mexico and the African Champions League victors, Al Ahly.
Fluminense’s victory over Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final in Rio de Janeiro in November filled the last place in the competition.
Al Ahly (Egypt) - Winners of the 2022/23 CAF Champions League
Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) - Winners of the 2022/23 Saudi Professional League (host country)
Auckland City (New Zealand) - Winners of the 2023 OFC Champions League
Fluminense (Brazil) - Winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores
Leon (Mexico) - Winners of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League
Manchester City (England) - Winners of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) - Winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League
Matches at the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
First round
Al-Ittihad v Auckland City, 18:00 (UK) on 12 December 2023, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah (Al-Ittihad won 3-0).
Second round
Leon v Urawa Red Diamonds, 14:30 (UK) on 15 December 2023, Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah
Al Ahly v Al-Ittihad 18:00 (UK) on 15 December 2023, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
Semi-finals
Fluminense v Al Ahly/Al-Ittihad, 18:00 (UK) on 18 December 2023, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
Manchester City v Leon/Urawa Red Diamonds, 18:00 (UK) on 19 December 2023, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
Third place play-off
Defeated semi-final sides, 14:30 (UK) on 22 December 2023, Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah
Final
Semi-final winners, 18:00 (UK) on 22 December 2023, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
What do we know about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be the first played with 32 teams. It is expected to take place in June and July 2025. FIFA confirmed in June 2023 that it will be played in the United States of America.
UEFA, Europe’s confederation, has 12 of the 32 slots. Each of the winners of the Champions League from 2021 to 2024 take a slot, so Chelsea and Real Madrid have already confirmed their place.
The other eight slots will go to the sides with the best overall coefficient across the qualification period.
The host country will take one slot, as will the continent of Oceania. North American, Asian and African clubs will each have four representatives, while South America will have six clubs at the tournament.
More details on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be published on mancity.com as they are confirmed.
How can I follow City in the FIFA Club World Cup?
As always, you won’t miss a thing with mancity.com and the official app.
App coverage on a matchday will start two hours before kick off with our Matchday Centre providing detailed analysis, stats and live text commentary.
Our Matchday Live programme begins just over an hour before the match starts with a range of guests and experts giving their take on proceedings.
The guests will also answer viewer questions throughout the broadcast, with audience participation actively encouraged on Matchday Live.
To get in touch, send a Whatsapp to: +447537186538.
During the game you can listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann while our text commentary continues.
A detailed match report is posted upon the game’s completion before we provide you with post-match reaction from Guardiola and the players and then highlights and, for CITY+ and Recast subscribers, a full-match replay.
