Al Ahli books 2029 Club World Cup ticket with AFC Elite crown
Saudi Gazette report
JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia has officially clinched a place in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup following Al Ahli FC's 2-0 victory over Japan's Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2025.
The victory ensured that Saudi football became the first in Asia to secure a confirmed representative in the expanded 32-team Club World Cup edition, where Asia will send four continental champions from the 2025 to 2028 editions.
In addition to the Club World Cup berth, Al Ahli have also booked a historic place in the newly introduced FIFA Intercontinental Cup, marking the first time a Saudi club qualifies for the global competition.
Al Ahli are set to face the winner of the Oceania–Africa playoff, which will be contested between the OFC Champions League winner and the CAF Champions League champion — either Egypt's Pyramids FC or South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns.
That match will be played on Saudi soil, and the winner will lift the Africa-Asia-Oceania Championship — a title last won by Al Ahly of Egypt following their win over UAE's Al Ain.
Should Al Ahli triumph in that tie, they would progress to the Challenge Cup Final, where they'll meet the champion of North and Central America (CONCACAF) or South America (CONMEBOL), with a place in the Intercontinental Cup Final at stake.
The Intercontinental Cup Final — scheduled for December 18 — will pit the Challenge Cup winner against the UEFA Champions League winner, with the host country to be announced after all continental champions are confirmed.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia lost its bid to host the Intercontinental Cup due to FIFA's neutrality clause, which prevents a nation with a participating club from staging the tournament.
As AFC Elite champions, Al Ahli earned continental glory and a global ticket and also secured automatic qualification to the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite, regardless of their domestic league finish.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson Apologizes for Red Card in Club World Cup Loss to Flamengo
Nicolas Jackson apologized to Chelsea fans after he was sent off with a red card during the team's 3–1 loss to Flamengo in the Club World Cup on Friday. Trailing the Brazilians 2–1, the striker was sent off in the 68th minute with a straight red just four minutes after replacing Liam Delap for a studs-up tackle on Flamengo defender Ayrton Lucas. 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card… and honestly I'm so angry at myself,' he wrote on Instagram. 'I work hard every day to help the team, not to put us in this situation.' The red card means that the Senegalese international won't be available to play on Tuesday when Chelsea faces Esperance with a spot in the round of 16 on the line. Jackson was also shown a red card last month in Chelsea's 2–0 loss to Newcastle. 'It happened against Newcastle and it happened today. Probably today I am not 100 percent sure it's a red card compared to the Newcastle one,' Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said. 'So it's a little bit of a bad moment for Nico in this kind of thing.' FIFA could give Jackson a longer suspension if it chooses to review the tackle. 'I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me,' Jackson concluded his post. 'Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.'
Al Arabiya
6 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Youcef Belaili scores in Esperance's 1-0 victory over LAFC in the Club World Cup
Yousef Belaili scored in the 70th minute, and Esperance de Tunisie beat LAFC 1–0 on Friday night in the Club World Cup to remain in contention to advance and eliminate the California MLS team. LAFC had one final chance to tie it in the 99th minute on Dénis Bouanagas' right-footed shot off a penalty kick, but goalkeeper Béchir Ben Säid smothered it. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were in the crowd of 13,651 at 30,000-seat GEODIS Park on a steamy late afternoon. Key moment: After a back-and-forth pace, Belaili came through with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner through goalkeeper Hugo Lloris' legs. Takeaways: Esperance will finish the round Tuesday night against Chelsea with second place in Group D and a spot in the round of 16 on the line. Not only was LAFC eliminated, it has been shut out in both of its matches. LAFC had two goals wiped out by offsides in the first half.
Al Arabiya
10 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Angel Di Maria Leads Benfica Past Auckland City 6-0 in Club World Cup
Ángel Di María and Leandro Barreiro each scored two goals Friday to help Benfica rout Auckland City 6–0 in a Club World Cup game that was delayed at halftime because of thunder and lightning. Di María, who teamed with Lionel Messi to win the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, scored his first goal from the penalty spot deep into added time at the end of the first half. His second score, and the team's sixth, was again from the penalty spot and deep in added time at the end of the match. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Auckland City exchanged counterattacks with the Portuguese powerhouse in the first half of the Group C match but was still outshot 18–1. The second half went Benfica's way. Vangelis Pavlidis made it 2–0 in the 53rd minute. Renato Sanches added a third a short time later, and Barreiro then scored a pair of goals to increase the lead to 5–0. A thunderstorm delayed the start of the second half for more than two hours. When the match resumed, the goals came pouring in for Benfica. Key moment: Auckland midfielder Tong Zhou went down with an apparent head injury just before halftime. Trainers attended to Zhou on the field, and Benfica defender Alvaro Carreras complained about the delay. He was given a yellow card after a spat with game officials. Takeaways: With the win, Benfica has four points in Group C. Bayern Munich, which beat Auckland City 10–0 in its opening match, plays Boca Juniors later Friday in Miami Gardens.
