Look: FIFA Club World Cup trophy visits UAE

Al Ain Head Coach Vladimir Ivić is eager to see how his team measures up against the world's best at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, with excitement building for the tournament following the Trophy Tour's recent visit to the UAE.

In the lead-up to the highly anticipated tournament, the prestigious prize awaiting the FIFA Club World Cup champions at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey, on Sunday, 13 July 2025, is embarking on its first-ever global Trophy Tour.

The journey began on Thursday, 16 January 2025, with a special event at Tiffany & Co.'s iconic Fifth Avenue flagship store, The Landmark. This historic kickoff marked the start of a five-month worldwide tour, during which the gleaming, 24-carat gold-plated trophy will visit the home cities of all 32 competing clubs.

From 22 to 24 February 2025, the innovative trophy made its ninth stop, visiting Al Ain FC, who earned their place in the tournament following their second AFC Champions League triumph last season.

During its stay, the trophy appeared at several iconic locations, including the Burj Khalifa, Al Jahli Fort, and Al Ain Oasis.

It also delighted fans with a meet-and-greet event and made a special appearance at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium for a first-team training session and a squad photo.

The first team will be under the leadership of Serbian manager Vladimir Ivić, who recently took over from Leonardo Jardim earlier this month after Jardim's move to Brazilian side Cruzeiro.

Ivić, formerly in charge of Watford and Maccabi Tel Aviv, will guide his squad through a challenging Group G in the competition. Their opponents include reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, 36-time Serie A champions Juventus, and Morocco's most decorated club, Wydad Athletic Club.

“There will be a lot of champions, good teams, the biggest teams in the world (in the competition),” said Al Ain Head Coach Vladimir Ivić.

“We will have the chance to play the games against the teams who will be with us in the group – Juventus, Manchester City and Wydad AC from Morocco.

“It will be a huge experience for all of us, for me, the players and the team, to compare where we are now in this moment. I expect that will be very, very interesting.”

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 were defeated by Real Madrid.