Qualification for the inaugural 32-team edition of FIFA\u2019s new prime club competition, Mundial de Clubes FIFA\u2122 (FIFA Club World Cup\u2122), is well underway with many key fixtures to be played over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Nineteen clubs have already locked in their place. Oceania (OFC) is the only confederation that has no more slots left to fill. However, places in Europe (UEFA), Asia (AFC), South America (CONMEBOL), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), Asia (AFC), and Africa (CAF) are still up for grabs.<\/p>\n
We highlight the key fixtures being played over the next week.<\/p>\n
\u06f4 March
\nAl Ain v Al Nassr<\/p>\n
\u06f5 March
\nFC Bayern M\u00fcnchen v SS Lazio
\nReal Sociedad de F\u00fatbol v Paris Saint-Germain FC
\nJeonbuk Motors v Ulsan HD FC<\/p>\n
\u06f6 March
\nReal Madrid CF v Rasen Ballsport Leipzig<\/p>\n
\u06f1\u06f1 March
\nAl Nassr v Al Ain<\/p>\n
\u06f1\u06f2 March
\nFC Barcelona v SSC Napoli
\nUlsan HD FC v Jeonbuk Motors<\/p>\n
\u06f1\u06f3 March
\nBorussia Dortmund v PSV Eindhoven
\nClub Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid v FC Internazionale Milano<\/p>\n
Italy
\nSSC Napoli and SS Lazio are still active in the UCL and can clinch their spot by winning the competition. They can also qualify via the ranking pathway.<\/p>\n
For Lazio to have a chance of claiming the spot, they would need to make it to the UCL final, and claim an additional 12 ranking points on that journey. Lazio currently lead FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 1-0 following their first-leg home match and will travel to Germany on 5 March.<\/p>\n
If Lazio fail to accrue 12 more points, Napoli could secure qualification by winning two more matches in the UCL. They are currently locked at 1-1 following their first leg home match against FC Barcelona (ESP) and will play the return leg in Spain on 12 March.<\/p>\n
Juventus are currently leading the rankings but cannot earn any further points. They would qualify if Barcelona and Bayern win their ties in March.<\/p>\n
Spain
\nFor Real Sociedad to qualify they must win the UCL this season, as they are not in the running to qualify through the ranking pathway. They will look to overcome a 2-0 deficit when they host PSG on 5 March.<\/p>\n
Both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona can still qualify via both pathways.<\/p>\n
Atletico are in the box seat and could seal their spot if results go their way. If Barcelona and Real Sociedad are both eliminated in the Round of 16, then Atl\u00e9tico \u2013 who will face Inter on 13 March following their 1-0 loss in Milan on 20 February \u2013 will qualify for the Mundial de Clubes FIFA.<\/p>\n
As for Barcelona, they must reach the semi-finals of the UCL while hoping that Atl\u00e9tico and Real Sociedad stumble. The Blaugrana will host Napoli on 12 March after a 1-1 draw in Italy on 21 February.<\/p>\n
Germany
\nBorussia Dortmund and Rasen Ballsport Leipzig are the two clubs in the running to join the already qualified (based on ranking) Bayern as Germany\u2019s representatives at the Mundial de Clubes FIFA.<\/p>\n
Leipzig \u2013 who travel to Spain on 6 March following their 1-0 home loss against Real Madrid \u2013 must reach at least the semi-finals of the UCL to have a chance of overhauling<\/p>\n
Dortmund, who host PSV on 13 March after a 1-1 draw in first leg. Any other outcome will result in Dortmund taking the spot.<\/p>\n
Asia (AFC)
\nJeonbuk Motors (KOR), Ulsan HD FC (KOR) and Al Nassr (KSA) are the three clubs still in the running to qualify via rankings, with all three also having a chance to qualify as ACL winners, which is currently at the quarter-final stage.<\/p>\n
Jeonbuk take on Ulsan in an all-Korea Republic quarter-final (on 5 and 12 March), with Jeonbuk slightly ahead of Ulsan in the rankings \u2013 meaning they will secure qualification by winning this tie.<\/p>\n
For Ulsan to qualify, they will need to defeat Jeonbuk in this tie, and will likely need to score points in the semi-final, too. Alternatively, if Al Hilal \u2013 who face Al Ittihad FC on 5 and 12 March \u2013 win this edition of the ACL, then that would open up an additional rankings spot in Asia, which would allow both sides to potentially go through.<\/p>\n
While it is mathematically possible for Al Nassr to qualify via rankings, they are relying on Al Hilal winning the ACL to open up a second ranking spot, Jeonbuk preventing Ulsan from progressing, and then claiming enough points themselves to overtake Ulsan. Al Nassr \u2013 who meet Al Ain (UAE) on 4 and 11 March \u2013 could also potentially grab second spot in the rankings if Ulsan eliminate Jeonbuk with minimum points before being eliminated in the semi-finals. Al Nassr would then need to earn enough points to exceed Ulsan\u2019s total.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Qualification for the inaugural 32-team edition of FIFA\u2019s new prime club competition, Mundial de Clubes FIFA\u2122 (FIFA Club World Cup\u2122), is well underway with many key fixtures to be played over the coming weeks. Nineteen clubs have already locked in their place. Oceania (OFC) is the only confederation that has no more slots left to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":951695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20966],"tags":[9648,27192],"class_list":["post-951694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-news","tag-fifa","tag-fifa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=951694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/951695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=951694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=951694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=951694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}