Club World Cup UAE: Saudi Arabia’s AFC Champions League winners Al Hilal arrive in Abu Dhabi

Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal have arrived in the UAE ahead of the Fifa Club World Cup UAE as they look to become the first AFC representative in history to win the tournament.

Taking place in the UAE, the Club World Cup will feature five continental champions — Al Hilal (AFC), Monterrey (Concacaf), Al Ahly (CAF) and Chelsea (Uefa) — as well as OFC’s Pirae, who lost 4-1 to last year’s UAE Pro League winners, Al Jazira on Thursday night.

Al Hilal will be looking to overcome them all and make history for AFC clubs, which has had two finalists but never a winner.

Japan’s Kashima Antlers were runners-up in 2016, while the UAE’s Al Ain came second in 2018, with Spanish giants Real Madrid the champions on both occasions.

Having finished fourth in the 2019 edition, Al Hilal will become the first two-time Saudi Arabia representatives, with domestic rivals Al Nassr and Al Ittihad the country’s other two previous competitors.

Al Hilal will face-off against Al Jazira following the UAE champions’ comfortable opening match victory against Pirae. Jazira take on Hilal at 8.30pm on Sunday for the right to face Uefa Champions League winners Chelsea in the semi-finals just three days later.

The other half of the draw gets under way on Saturday as Al Ahly face Monterrey at the Al Nahyan Stadium, which also hosts the first semi-final on Tuesday in a contest that will feature the winner against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras.

The tournament concludes on Saturday 12 February, with the third-place playoff at the Al Nahyan Stadium (5pm) before the final gets under way at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium from 8.30pm to crown the 18th Fifa Club World Cup champion.