Starting tomorrow in Saudi Arabia… the story of the Gulf clubs and the Club World Cup

The Club World Cup competitions will begin tomorrow in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, hosted by the city of Jeddah, from December 12 to 22, and the Kingdom has become the third Gulf country to host the tournament competitions after the Emirates and Qatar. The World Cup journey began in Gulf stadiums with the 2009 edition, which it hosted by the Emirates, and witnessed the participation of Al-Ahly Dubai, “Shabab Al-Ahly currently,” as they lost the opening match to Auckland City, New Zealand.

In the UAE 2010 edition, Al Wahda of the Emirates – the representative of the host country – won the opening match against South Hekari from Papua New Guinea, the “OCC Champions League” champion, 3-0, before losing to Seungnam of South Korea in the quarter-finals 1-4, to play the match that determines the fifth place which was lost on penalties to Pachuca of Mexico.

The Club World Cup returned to the Emirati lands in the 2017 edition, which witnessed the participation of Al-Jazira, the Emirati, who began their campaign by defeating Auckland City with a clean goal, and succeeded in qualifying for the semi-finals after defeating Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds with a clean goal, setting up a date with Real Madrid, who won 2-1. Al Jazira concluded its campaign by facing Mexico’s Pachuca in the third place match, which it lost 1-4.

For the second time in a row, the UAE will host the FIFA Club World Cup 2018, with the participation of Al Ain, which began its campaign with a victory over Wellington of New Zealand on penalties, before defeating Esperance of Tunisia in the quarter-finals by three clean goals, and reserved its place in the final match after defeating River Plate on penalties before losing to Real Madrid in the final match 1-4 to win the World Cup silver.

In 2019, Qatar hosted the Club World Cup for the first time, which witnessed an event that was the first of its kind with the participation of two Gulf clubs, Al-Hilal, the Asian champion, and Al-Sadd, the representative of the host country. Al-Hilal began its first participation in the World Cup by defeating Esperance of Tutsia with a clean goal, while Al-Sadd began its journey by defeating Gingen Sport the champion of Oceania 3-1, before losing to Mexico’s Monterrey in the quarter-finals 2-3, to face Esperance in the fifth-place match, where the Tunisian team won 6-2.

On the other hand, Al Hilal began its first participation in the World Cup by defeating Esperance with a clean goal, qualifying for the semi-finals, where it lost to the Brazilian Flamengo 1-3, before losing on penalties to the Mexican Monterrey in the third place match.

The tournament, which was held in Qatar 2020, witnessed the participation of Al-Duhail, the representative of the host country, which began its campaign by defeating Auckland City 3-0 before losing to Al-Ahly of Egypt by a goal in the quarter-finals, concluding its journey by achieving fifth place by defeating Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea.

In the UAE 2021 edition, the World Cup witnessed bilateral Gulf participation with the presence of Al Hilal, the Asian champion, and Al Jazira, the Emirati representative of the host country. Al Jazira began its journey by defeating Perry, the Tahitian champion, in the first round 4-1, before Al Hilal swept it 6-1 in the quarter-finals, and Al Hilal set a date with Chelsea, the European champion, where he lost by a clean goal, to face Al-Ahly of Egypt in a Saudi-Egyptian summit, which Al-Hilal lost 4-0.

With Morocco hosting the World Cup in 2022, Al-Hilal, the Asian champion, was present, which began its journey against Wydad. Al Hilal won it on penalties to set up a match for the second time against the Brazilian Flamengo. Al-Hilal regained its reputation and won 3-2 to record a historic qualification to the final as the first Saudi team to reach the final. For the final match in the Club World Cup, setting up a date with Real Madrid, where the latter won 5-3, earning Al Hilal the first World Cup silver for the Saudis and the second silver for the Gulf in the World Championship after Al Ain.