FIFA Club World Cup Trophy Tour set to visit Al Ain

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Trophy Tour is making its way to the UAE, with a stop in Al Ain scheduled from February 22 to 24.

This global tour offers fans a rare opportunity to see the newly designed trophy up close, celebrating the lead-up to what promises to be a groundbreaking tournament.

The tour, which began in January, spans six months and travels through the cities of the 32 participating clubs. Al Ain has been selected as the first host in Asia, marking a significant milestone in the tour's journey.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the new trophy as the “start of a new history” during its official unveiling in New York, crafted in partnership with luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co.

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will take place in the United States, featuring 12 stadiums across 11 cities. The tournament, running from June 14 to July 13, will conclude with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the winning club will lift this iconic piece of silverware.

Al Ain are set to take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, 36-time Serie A champions Juventus and Morocco’s most decorated club, Wydad Athletic Club, when the competition kicks off in June.

The new format introduces a group stage featuring eight groups of four teams, with each team playing three matches against their group opponents. The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16, leading to a single-elimination knockout stage that will run through to the final. The new format also eliminates the third-place play-off.

This expanded competition is a significant departure from the previous version, which included only seven teams and four rounds. The UAE hosted the old format five times between 2009 and 2021, with Al Ain famously reaching the final in 2018, where they faced Real Madrid.

Al Ain earned their spot in the 2025 edition thanks to their triumph in last season’s AFC Champions League, where they defeat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and ended Al Hilal’s s record 34 game winning streak en route to lifting continental silverware for the second time in their history.