PREMIER LEAGUE champions Manchester City will face Juventus in the opening group stage of Fifa’s controversial Club World Cup, while Chelsea will take on Brazil giants Flamengo.
The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the United States next summer, has been championed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino — but is the subject of two legal challenges in Europe, which both involve players’ union FIFPRO.
City and Chelsea qualified as 2023 and 2021 Champions League winners respectively, but were kept apart in the draw for the group stage as part of Fifa’s complicated regional constraints.
Pep Guardiola’s side will play Casablanca outfit Wydad AC in their opening Group G fixture before taking on Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and finish against Italian giants Juve.
Chelsea start in Group D against Mexican Club Leon, then play Flamengo and Esperance Tunis.
Should both English clubs progress to the knockout stages as group winners, they would be placed on opposite sides of the draw and would not meet until the final.
The draw in Miami proved a protracted affair, which also included a video message from President-elect Donald Trump.
“The event is going to be incredible. I will try and be there if I can,” Trump said.
“Gianni is a winner. He is a president and I am the president. We have known each other a long time.
“Soccer is going through the roof, it has been doing very well. It really is taking over the United States as a sport.
“We are also going to be watching the (2026) World Cup very soon. I was very responsible along with Gianni in getting it, and it is going to be a fantastic thing.”
City beat Brazilian side Fluminense to win the Club World Cup in its previous format for the first time in 2023, while Chelsea won the 2021 final against Palmeiras.
The tournament will kick off with an opening game featuring Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami against Egyptians Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium on 15 June.
Inter Miami’s involvement as the host nation team is controversial in itself – with the Herons having won the regular-season Supporters Shield, but then missed out on being crowned Major League Soccer champions with defeat to Atlanta in the MLS Cup play-offs.
Brazilians Palmeiras and Porto are also in Group A.
There will be a European heavyweight clash between Paris St Germain and Atletico Madrid in Group B, which also features Seattle Sounders and Brazilian club Botafogo.
In Group C, Bayern Munich will take on Argentina giants Boca Juniors along with Benfica and Auckland City.
Group E sees River Plate play Inter Milan, Japan side Urawa Red Diamonds and Mexicans Monterrey.
In Group F, Brazilians Fluminense meet Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan of Korea and South African team Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group H will see European champions Real Madrid face Salzburg, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal and Pachuca of Mexico.
The Club World Cup final will be played on 13 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Your bang on the money there. Keep up the honesty micheal. Your a breath of fresh air too listen too.
Whistleblowers always get a rough ride.
Sure, what will they do? Continue to snort cocaine of hookers bodies…. The Olympics is the devils beast now….
Sure is…my grandmother could win gold if we pumped her up with drugs and bribed the officials
In all fairness lads its a joke ran from the top just like fifa
I heard what Kelly had to say on Today FM yesterday and it’s fairly explosive stuff. However the Americans got a couple of bad decisions and there were others. If Conlon is right then why did the judges give these other countries little respect either. The whole thing is a shambles and the only thing we do know is that Michael Conlon was treated with contempt.
Yanks do not like cheats in sports, didn’t a gold medalist ended up getting found out by the FBI and they jailed her for 6 months.
Its Marion Jones you are thinking of, she was jailed for lying to Federal Investigators about doping not for actually doping
Really is great to see the USA and GB flourishing with Russian athletes being excluded from this Rio Olympics. Please point out the whistleblower here cos this smells of double standards, well done WORLD POLICE PLC.
The powers to be are nothing better. They are destroying the best show on earth.
I dont think the boxer sent home from doping helped either.
That’s a conspiracy theory too far, your man is overplaying the victim card at this stage
That’s a comment to far, the lad was robbed plain and simple.
Another fool who thinks the olympics is about sport ?
Says you lounging on your sofa!!!
What’s your take on the whole thing Stephen? Do you think it was a fair decision? Or were you watching a different Michael conlon fighting a different match?
@stephen… aw is it annoying for you that he hasnt just buried his head and said nothing?? sorry about that mate.. thats inconvenient i imaging. back in the real world anyone see the colmbian avila v the russian yesterday. i was in the stadium and am no expert but i thought the colombian lad schooled him before losing unanimously!
Putin has had Pat Hickey in his pocket for a long time. Anybody who thinks he is completely innocent is living in cloud cuckoo land
Why is the journal constantly putting up the same biased reporting in Pat Hickeys wrongful and unlawful arrest, and why is it glossing over the fact that Shane Ross left him high and dry by running from Rio after making damming comments to Rio Officials whilst trying to be the big man.
I listened to mat cooper yesterday and boxing is as corrupt in the Olympics as it can get