2022 FIFA Club World Cup To Be Held In Morocco
The 2022 FIFA Club World Cup will take place in Morocco from February 1–11, 2022, according to a recent announcement by FIFA. The Champions League champions from each international confederation, along with a participant from the host nation, compete in the seven-team competition. Mexican clubs have represented Concacaf in all but one of the competition's previous 18 editions, with Sounders FC becoming the first MLS team to take part (Deportiva Saprissa from Costa Rica took part in 2005). The competition is being held in Morocco for the third time this year (2013, 2014). Craig Waibel, general manager & chief soccer officer of Sounders FC, remarked, "It's with great privilege that we now prepare to fly to Morocco for such a fantastic occasion." "I can't think of a better approach to get ready for a 2023 campaign that also involves a competitive international competition in the Leagues Cup, in addition to the opportunity to face some of the world's best teams. We are eager to collaborate with FIFA and compete against other Moroccan clubs.
Seven clubs from around the world compete for worldwide club soccer supremacy at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 2023 competition will also feature Real Madrid of Spain, Flamengo of Brazil, Auckland City of New Zealand, Wydad Casablanca as the host club, TBD representatives from the Asian Football Confederation, and another club from the Confederation of African Football, in addition to Sounders FC. At a later time, further information will be released on the competition's schedule, tickets, and broadcast information. Brian Schmetzer, head coach of Sounders FC, said, "We cannot wait to fly to Morocco for such a fantastic and unheard-of moment for our team. We have no doubt that a country with such a rich soccer tradition would be a fantastic host to this tournament after watching the tremendous run of the Moroccan National Team in Qatar. This only fuels our enthusiasm and determination to push forward with our 2023 preseason preparations.
After winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions League and becoming the first MLS team to do it, Sounders FC earned a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. Including a 3-0 home victory in the second leg at Lumen Field in front of a record crowd of 68,741, Seattle defeated Liga MX side Pumas UNAM 5-2 on aggregate in the Final. This surpassed the all-time Concacaf Champions League Final attendance record for a single match. Raul Ruidaz scored twice in the second leg's outcome, Nico Lodeiro scored, and Stefan Frei recorded his fourth competition shutout, earning him the awards for Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Player of the Tournament.
