After ending 2022 with breathtaking moments, football returns again with another thrilling, exciting FIFA World Club Cup tournament. Winners of the six conferences club gathered all together along with the host country team for the battle of the world’s best club. All the FIFA Club World Cup qualifiers are ready to claim the most prestigious award.
Morocco was honored to host the event cause of their outstanding performance in the Qatar World Cup. Here in our article, we will discuss which clubs qualified for the 2023 Club World Cup.
Let’s start.
Which club qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2023?
The FIFA World Club Cup competition takes place among the winner of each domestic confederation’s highest-profile competition. The team qualified for the Club Cup through UEFA’s Champions League, CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores, CAF Champions League, AFC Champions League, CONCACAF Champions League, and OFC Champions League. These are tournament winners, and the host country played at the Club FIFA World Cup.
In 2023, the qualified teams for FIFA Club World Cup are –
| Club | Qualified By |
| 1. Wydad AC | Winner of the CAF Champions League |
| 2. Al Ahly | Runners-up of the CAF Champions League/Host Country |
| 3. Auckland City | Winners of the OFC Champions League |
| 4. Al Hilal | Winners of the AFC Champions League |
| 5. Seattle Sounders | Winners of the CONCACAF Champions League |
| 6. Flamengo | Winners of the CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores |
| 7. Real Madrid | Winners of the UEFA Champions League |
1. Wydad AC (Host Country, Winner of CAF Champions League)
- Home City – Casablanca, Morocco
- Coach – Mehdi Nafti
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 2
Qualified – Wydad AC defeated Al Ahly in a 2-0 match and recorded the 3rd CAF Champions League Title to qualify for the Club Cup.
Wydad AC has proved itself as one of the strongest teams in both Moroccan and African football. Their recent performance is truly astonishing and very promising. It’s the third time Wydad won the CAF tournament.
Wydad played in the Club Football tournament last in 2017. They finished in 6th; not a good run. However, Wydad is ready to make a huge difference this time. They have a very strong team which includes three world cup hero defenders Yahia Attiyat Allah, midfielder Yahya Jabrane and goalkeeper Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti.
2. Al Ahly (Runners-up of the CAF Champions League)
- Home City – Cairo, Egypt
- Coach – Marcel Koller
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 8
Qualified – Al Ahly was appointed to the Club tournament on 16 December 2022 when they selected Morocco as the venue. Al Ahly got the hosted reserve seat as the host nation Morocco is already a champion.
Al Ahly appeared in Club competitions the second most time; they finished the game in the semi-final three times in 2006, 2020, and 2021. They are historically the most successful club in Egyptian football, with 10 CAF Champions League trophies and 42 Egyptian Premier League titles.
Al Ahly’s target is to pass the semifinal barrier, where they will probably face Real Madrid. Previously, they lost against Bayern Munich and Brazilian opponents Internacional and Palmeiras in the semifinal stage.
3. Auckland City (Winners of the OFC Champions League)
- Home City – Auckland, New Zealand
- Coach – Albert Reira
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 10
Qualified – Auckland City played against Venus (Tahiti) in the OFC final and got victory by 3-0 goals to secure their place in the Club World Cup.
The Navy Blues appeared in the tournament most time; their best finish was in 2014 when they finished in third place. The team has dominated the Kiwi and Oceania football since 2004, winning nine domestic titles and 10 OFC Champions League.
Emiliano Tade is in the leading position of the Auckland team. He is the club’s most goal scorer(120 goals). Tade is important for the club cause he can play both centrally and on the wings. We will see him in the central point per the coach’s strategy.
4. Al Hilal (Winners of the AFC Champions League)
- Home City – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Coach – Ramon Diaz
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 1
Qualified – AFC nominated Al Hilal as Asia’s representative team due to the delayed finish of the AFC Champions League.
It will be Al Hilal’s second appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup. They debuted in the tournament in 2021 and finished fourth. They are the boss team of the Saudi Pro League Champions. They won that tournament three years in a row and five times in the last six seasons.
Al Hilal will start their game with quite a good team which includes former Nigerian Premier League star Idion Ogahlo and Saudi Arabian national team player Salem Al-Dawsari.
5. Seattle Sounders (Winners of the CONCACAF Champions League)
- Home City – Seattle, United States
- Coach – Brian Schmetzer
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 0
Qualified – Seattle Sounders defeated Mexican club Pumas UNAM in the CONCACAF Champions League to debut their Club World Cup participation.
Seattle Sounders plays in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. The team started its joinery in 2007 as part of the MLS expansion plan. Since then, they have become one of the most successful teams in the United States and Canada.
The Rave Green earned most of their success with coach Brian Schmetzer. He helped the team to achieve two MLS Cups, four conference titles, and the CONCACAF Champions League.
Seattle Sounders’ best weapon in the World Cup Club tournament is Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro. He scored three goals in the CONCACAF Champions League to take his team to the Morocco tournament.
6. Flamengo (Winners of the CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores)
- Home City – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Coach – Vítor Pereira
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 2
Qualified – On October 30, 2022, Flamengo got victory over Athletico Paranaense in the Libertadores finals by 1-0 goals to ensure their appearance in the Club World tournament. It’s their third time winning the CONMEBOL’s Copa.
Even any team that is truly a threat to Real Madrid is the seven-time Brazillian Serie A champions Flamengo. This will be Flamengo’s third time visiting Club World Cup event. They finished in the runners-up position in 2019.
Flamengo’s best player Arturo Vidal played only 15 matches this season cause of an injury. However, he will be present for the final game of the World Club competition.
7. Real Madrid (Winners of the UEFA Champions League)
- Home City – Madrid, Spain
- Coach – Carlo Ancelotti
- Appearance in Club World Cup – 4
Qualified – Real Madrid qualified for the Club Cup tournament after defeating Liverpool in the Champions League final by 1-0. It was their 14th time winning the UEFA title.
Madrid competes in La Liga, one of the world’s most dominating clubs. They played four times in the FIFA Club tournament and won all the time.
Madrid is surely the strongest team in that tournament, and we all know they will bring the trophy home at the end of the day. The team is full of the world’s best players. Fans were especially looking for Karim Benzema, who won the last Ballon d’Or.
FIFA Club World Cup 2023 Full Schedule
| Date | Round | Match |
| 1 February Wednesday | 1st round | Al Ahly vs. Auckland City |
| 4 February Saturday | 2nd round | Wydad Casablanca vs. Al Hilal |
| 7 February Tuesday | Semi-final | Flamengo vs. Wydad/Al Hilal |
| 8 February Wednesday | Semi-final | Seattle/Al Ahly/Auckland vs. Real Madrid |
| 11 February Saturday | Third Place | Semi 1 loser vs. Semi 2 loser |
| 11 February Saturday | Final | Semi 1 winner vs. Semi 2 winner |
Conclusion
FIFA Club World Cup qualifiers are preparing themselves for the battle of finding out which is the best football club in the whole world. All seven teams are ready to go on wars with one another. Speaking of seven teams, this method of selecting the best club will be changed in 2025. From 2025 there will be 32 teams, and that event will be similar to World Cup. The expansion decision is surely great, but the on-door event is lit. Enjoy the event with your friends and family.
