Atlético-MG and Botafogo decide this Saturday (30/11) the title of the 2024 Libertadores da América. The champion will guarantee, as extra prizes, the presence in two international disputes: the Intercontinental Cup, later this year, and the Club World Cup 2025.
The Intercontinental Cup is a version of the World Cup similar to the one played until last year, with the champions of each continent. The winner of the Libertadores debuts on December 11th, against Pachuca, from Mexico, in a kind of quarter-final game.
If it passes, the South American representative has one more game, against Al-Ahly, from Egypt, who eliminated Al-Ain, from the United Arab Emirates, with a 3-0 victory on October 29th. The winner of this match will face Real Madrid, who enter directly into the final. The big decision will be on December 18th.
MORE: How many goals are left until Cristiano Ronaldo’s 1,000th?
Which clubs are in the Intercontinental Cup?
In addition to the Libertadores champion, the Intercontinental Cup has (or had, in the case of those already eliminated) the following clubs:
- Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) – eliminated by Al-Ahly
- Auckland City (New Zealand) – eliminated by Al-Ain
- Al-Ahly (Egypt) – qualified for the semi-finals
- Pachuca (Mexico) – faces the Libertadores champion in the quarter-finals
- Real Madrid (Spain) – enter straight into the final
Intercontinental Cup: dates and results
The Continental Cup will start on September 22nd and end on December 18th.
Intercontinental Cup table
22/09 – Game 1: Al-Ain 6 x 2 Auckland City – Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates)
29/10 – Game 2: Al-Ahly 3 x 0 Al-Ain – Cairo (Egypt)
11/12 – Game 3: Libertadores Champion x Pachuca – Doha (Qatar)
14/12 – Game 4: Al-Ahly x winner of game 3 – Doha (Qatar)
18/12 – Real Madrid x winner of game 4 – Doha (Qatar)
Where will the Intercontinental Cup be held?
The Intercontinental Cup will not have a single venue. The first two games were in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, the homes of two of the classified clubs: Al-Ain and Al-Ahly. The remaining matches will be in Qatar.
Stadium 974 will host the game between Pachuca and the Libertadores champion. The same venue will host the semi-final. The final will be at the Lusail Stadium
MORE: the players who moved the most money in transfers
What is the format of the Intercontinental Cup?
The Intercontinental Cup has an unusual format. Real Madrid, champion of the Champions League, enters directly into the final, while the other teams fight for a place in the final – and enter into different phases.
Al-Ain and Auckland played a kind of playoff to decide who would take on Al-Ahly in the second phase. The UAE team beat their New Zealand opponent 6-2 – and then ended up defeated by the Egyptians 3-0.
As a result, Al-Ahly will face, in the semi-final, whoever advances from the quarter-final game between Pachuca and the Libertadores champion. And then it will be known who will take Real Madrid in the final.
What is the difference between the Intercontinental Cup and the Club World Cup?
The Intercontinental Cup has a similar format to the version of the Club World Cup held between 2005 and 2023. And it will be a kind of extra tournament, as FIFA will organize a new World Cup, with 32 clubs, from 2025 onwards.
What will the new Club World Cup be like?
See below details about the format of the new Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States, between June 15th and July 13th, 2025.
- There will be eight groups, with four teams each, that will face each other in a single round
- The top two from each group qualify for the round of 16
- The knockout will be in a single game
- There will be no third place competition
