Chelsea and Manchester City are England's only two representatives in the tournament
Chelsea and Manchester City are England's only two representatives in the tournament
Premier League pair Manchester City and Chelsea have discovered their opponents for the new 32-team Club World Cup to be held in the US in the summer.
Manchester City have been placed in Group G along with Italian giants Juventus, African champions Wydad AC of Morocco, who will be City's first opponents, and Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.
Chelsea, who were drawn in Group D, will face Brazilian side Flamengo, Mexican outfit Club Leon and Esperance Sportive of Tunisia. The Blues will take on Club Leon in their opening match.
The tournament will kick off with an opening game featuring Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on June 15 next year. The final is set to be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.
[
Man Utd urged to sign Chelsea flop who's perfect for Ruben Amorim](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-manutd-transfer-mudryk-maresca-34254922)
The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the United States next summer, has been championed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino but is the subject of two legal challenges in Europe, which both involve players’ union FIFPRO.
FIFA is accused of failing to consult adequately with player unions and leagues on the international fixture calendar, with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters describing the introduction of the Club World Cup as the “tipping point”.
Manchester City will take on Italian giants Juventus
Manchester City will take on Italian giants Juventus
Unions’ concerns centre chiefly on player welfare, with players based in Europe who go deep in the tournament set to be afforded very little time to properly rest and recover before the 2025-26 domestic seasons begin.
Players themselves have spoken out, with City midfielder Rodri warning stars were “close” to considering strike action over the congested calendar, with UEFA’s club competitions now also taking up more space.
Club World Cup groups in full:
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami
Group B:PSG, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders
Group C:Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica
Group D: Flamengo, Esperance, Chelsea, Club Leon
Group E: River Plate, Wraea Reds, Monterrey, Inter Milan
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD, Mamelodi Sundowns
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad AC, Al Ain, Juventus
Group H:Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.