Club World Championship

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The FIFA Club World Championship supercedes the annual World Club Championship (Toyota Cup) between the champions of Europe and South America.

The third Club World Championship after the first event in Brazil 2000 which featured both Manchester United and Real Madrid will be held in Japan in December 2006 and is known as the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP. In the Club World Championship 2005 Sao Paulo FC defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final.

The tournament will run from December 10-17 2006.

Club champions from Europe (Champions League winners), South America (Libertadores Cup winners), Oceania (OFC Club Championship winners), Asia (Asian Champions League winners), Africa (CAF Champions League winners) and Central and North America (CONCACAF Champions Cup winners) will compete.

The weather forecast is for cold conditions.

Teams

Barcelona (Spain; Europe/UEFA)
Internacional (Brazil; South America/CONMEBOL)
Club America (Mexico; CONCACAF)
Auckland City (New Zealand; Oceania)
Chonbuk Motors (South Korea; Asia/AFC)
Al Ahli (Egypt; Africa/CAF).

Match Schedule

Stadiums

The matches will be played at the 72,000 capacity Yokohama International Stadium (venue for the 2002 World Cup final), the high-tech 45,000 capacity Toyota Stadium in Toyota City (just outside Nagoya) and the older 60,000 capacity National Stadium in Tokyo.

Getting To The Stadiums

Yokohama International Stadium can be reached in about 40-50 minutes from downtown Tokyo. The stadium is a 10 minute walk from Shin-Yokohama or Kozukue stations on the JR Yokohama Line.
The National Stadium is located in downtown Tokyo and the nearest subway station is Kokuritsu Kyogijo on the Oedo Line. The stadium is also within easy walking distance of both Sendagaya and Shinanomachi stations on the JR Chuo Line.
Toyota Stadium is located in Toyota City, just outside Nagoya. Take the Tsurumai subway line which becomes the Meitetsu Toyota Line after Akaike. From Toyotashi station there are shuttle buses to the stadium or it is a 15 minute walk. Allow about 50 minutes to an hour from Nagoya station.

Predictions

With no team from the host nation Japan it is difficult to see anything other than a Barcelona v Internacional final, though Club America look a decent side on paper but blow hot and cold.

There is no A-League representative as Australia has recently bolted from Oceania and is now a part of Asia in football terms, so New Zealand side Auckland City FC look to be the tournament's whipping boys. The JFA tried to persuade Hidetoshi Nakata to come out of retirement to play for Auckland but he was having none of it.

Nakata seeks the limelight much less than his predecessor as Japan's number one star - Kazu Miura - who turned out for FC Sydney in 2005. Auckland have persuaded veteran 34-year-old Japanese midfielder Teruo Iwamoto, once of Nagoya Grampus, to join them for the tournament, however.

Asia's representatives are surprise package Chonbuk (Jeonbuk) Motors, who are struggling in the domestic K-League, but reached the tournament after a hard-fought 3-2 aggregate win over Syrian side Al Karama.

Egypt's Al Ahli repeated as African Champions with a last-gasp win over CS Sfaxien of Tunisia to secure the African Champions League title 2-1 on aggregate. Al Ahli won 1-0 in the away leg. The Egyptian team will be looking to make up for a poor showing in last's year's event.

For astrological predictions of the games check out Soccerphile's resident astrologist Anita Nigam's match predictions for the Club World Championship.

Past Winners

Getting Around in Japan

Visit our Japan travel section for information on hotel and hostel accommodation in Japan, flights to Japan, plus information on trains, buses and ferries.

Blog

Keep up with all the action live from Japan on our Club World Championship Blog.

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