The stage is set and the opponent is finally confirmed for Seattle Sounders FC at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.
The Rave Green will make their tournament debut on Saturday (12 pm ET | FS2, FOX Deportes) against Al Ahly of Egypt, who beat New Zealand's Auckland City 3-0 in Wednesday's Round One opener in Tangier, Morocco.
Hussein El Shahat struck just before halftime at Ibn Batouta Stadium – also the site of Saturday's Second Round showdown with Seattle – with a right-footed blast from distance. A clinical 1-v-1 finish from Mohamed Sherif in the 56th minute gave the African side some breathing room before Percy Tau put the game away four minutes from full-time.
Al Ahly, who are based in Cairo, are 42-time Egyptian Premier League winners. They've also won 10 CAF (Africa) Champions League titles and are three-time FIFA Club World Cup third-place finishers (as recently as 2020 & 2021).
Road to the final
The Sounders, Major League Soccer's first-ever participant in the competition, arrive as Concacaf representatives via their CCL triumph last season. Al Ahly now stand in their way of a Feb. 8 Semifinal showdown against Spanish giants Real Madrid.
A victory against the 14-time European champions and four-time Club World Cup winners would book them a spot in the Feb. 11 final. Reaching the Semifinal would still guarantee Seattle a third game at the tournament, which holds a third-place match on the same day as the final – both at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Brian Schmetzer's side hasn't played an official match since Oct. 9 (Decision Day 2022), after missing out on the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. In full preseason mode ahead of their 2023 MLS campaign – which kicks off at home against the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 26 (8:00 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, FS1) – the Sounders got some game action over the weekend in Spain with a pair of friendlies against Wolfsberger AC of Austria and Hammarby IF of Sweden.
Round | Date | Opponents/Results | Time, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
First Round (Match 1) | Feb. 1 | Al Ahly 3-0 Auckland City | Tangier |
Second Round (Match 2) | Feb. 4 | Seattle Sounders FC vs. Al Ahly | 12 pm ET, Tangier |
Second Round (Match 3) | Feb. 4 | Wydad Casablanca vs. Al-Hilal | 9:30 am ET, Rabat |
Semifinals (Match 4) | Feb. 7 | Flamengo vs. M3 Winner | 2 pm ET, Tangier |
Semifinals (Match 5) | Feb. 8 | Real Madrid vs. M2 Winner | 2 pm ET, Rabat |
Third Place (Match 6) | Feb. 11 | Loser M5 vs. Loser M4 | 10:30 am ET, Rabat |
Final (Match 7) | Feb. 11 | Winner M5 vs. Winner M4 | 2 pm ET, Rabat |
Team | Confederation | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
Real Madrid (Spain) | UEFA (Europe) | 2021-22 UEFA Champions League winner |
Flamengo (Brazil) | Conmebol (South America) | 2022 Copa Libertadores winner |
Seattle Sounders FC (USA) | Concacaf (North America, Central America & Caribbean) | 2022 Concacaf Champions League winner |
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)% | AFC (Asia) | Nominated by AFC |
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)^ | CAF (Africa) | 2021-22 CAF Champions League winner & host nation |
Al Ahly (Egypt)^ | CAF (Africa) | 2021-22 CAF Champions League runner-up |
Auckland City (New Zealand) | OFC (Oceania) | 2022 OFC Champions League winner |
^ Wydad Casablanca won both the 2021-22 CAF Champions League and the host nation's domestic league (Botola Pro in Morocco). Per FIFA rules, the CAF Champions League runner-up (Al Ahly) then qualifies.
% Due to scheduling issues, the 2022 AFC Champions League Final won't be completed until May 2023. As a result, Al-Hilal will represent Asia as the reigning champions of the 2021 AFC Champions League.
FIFA Club World Cup winners
Only teams from Europe (UEFA, 14) and South America (Conmebol, 4) have won the FIFA Club World Cup. In total, 18 finals have been held since 2000.
Only one Concacaf team (Liga MX's Tigres UANL in 2020) has made a FIFA Club World Cup final.
- 2021: Chelsea (England)
- 2020: Bayern Munich (Germany)
- 2019: Liverpool (England)
- 2018: Real Madrid (Spain)
- 2017: Real Madrid (Spain)
- 2016: Real Madrid (Spain)
- 2015: Barcelona (Spain)
- 2014: Real Madrid (Spain)
- 2013: Bayern Munich (Germany)
- 2012: Corinthians (Brazil)
- 2011: Barcelona (Spain)
- 2010: Inter Milan (Italy)
- 2009: Barcelona (Spain)
- 2008: Manchester United (England)
- 2007: AC Milan (Italy)
- 2006: Internacional (Brazil)
- 2005: São Paulo (Brazil)
- 2001-04: Not held
- 2000: Corinthians (Brazil)
