Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host six matches in next summer’s Club World Cup, including a quarterfinal, according to information provided by FIFA on Saturday.
The city will host Chelsea versus Club Leon in a Group D match at 3 p.m. June 16, Inter Miami versus Porto in a Group A match at 3 p.m. June 19, Manchester City versus Al Ain in a Group G match at 9 p.m. June 22, a Round of 16 match at noon June 29 and another at 9 p.m. July 1, and a quarterfinal at noon July 5.
It will be the third time that Chelsea has played in Atlanta and the second time for Manchester City. Inter Miami has played several times because it is in MLS. It will be the first time for the other clubs.
Al Ain plays in United Arab Emirates. It qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the 2023 and ‘24 Asia Champions League. It was won its league 14 times. It is managed by Leonardo Jardim. Notable players include Soufiane Rahimi and Kaku.
Chelsea plays in England’s Premier League. Based in London, Chelsea qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the 2021 European Champions League. It was the UEFA Champions League twice, and the Premier League six times. It is managed by Enzo Maresca. Notable players include Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
Club Leon plays in Mexico’s LIGA MX. It qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. It was won its league eight times. It is managed by Eduardo Berizzo. Notable players include Andres Guardado and Jhonder Cadiz.
Inter Miami plays in MLS. It qualified for the Club World Cup by being the tournament host and by winning this season’s Supporters Shield. The club is managed by Javier Mascherano. Notable players include Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Manchester City plays in England’s Premier League. It previously played in Atlanta in 2010. It qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the 2023 Champions League. It was won the Premier League 10 times. It is managed by Pep Guardiola. Notable players include Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
Porto plays in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. It qualified for the Club World Cup through FIFA’s ranking system. It has won the CONCACAF Champions League twice and its league 30 times. It is managed by Vitor Bruno. Notable players include Diogo Costa and Samu Omorodion.
The six matches in the Club World Cup will be a logistical preview of the eight matches that Atlanta is scheduled to host in the 2026 World Cup.
Atlanta United’s first quarterfinals match will feature the first-place group from Group B against the second-place team from Group A. Group B consists of Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Brazil’s Botafogo, which includes former Atlanta United player Thiago Almada, and Seattle. Group A’s other two teams are Brazil’s Palmeiras and Egypt’s Al Ahly.
The second will feature the top team from Group F against the second-place team from Group E. Group F consists of Brazil’s Fluminense, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, South Korea’s Ulsan, and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. Group E consists of Argentina’s River Plate, Mexico’s Monterrey, Italy’s Inter Milan and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.
New Jersey will host both semifinals July 8-9 and the championship July 13.
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