Fifa Club World Cup 2018 to boost UAE’s global sporting credentials
abu dhabi — Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the Fifa Club World Cup in December will further amplify the UAE’s international credentials for supporting world-class sporting events, according to MajorGeneral Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi, Commander-in-Chief of the Abu Dhabi Police; Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council Board of Directors and the Head of the Higher Local Organising Committee of the Fifa Club World Cup.
Having hosted the tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2017, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi will again join forces between Dec. 12-22 to host eight matches featuring the continental club champions from six Fifa confederations — Europe (Uefa), Oceania (OFC), Africa (CAF), Asia (AFC), South America (CONMEBOL) and North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) — and host team Al Ain FC in an 11-day tournament to crown the club champions of the world.
With the accumulated knowledge and experience from hosting three previous Fifa Club World Cups, Al Romaithi believes the 2018 event is poised to elevate the country’s global sporting credentials to the next level.
“The Fifa Club World Cup is now intrinsically linked to Abu Dhabi because the emirate has hosted three previous editions and we’ve done a good job as far as Fifa, sponsors, teams and fans are concerned. All of the feedback from previous years has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Al Romaithi, who is excited to see three-in-a-row Uefa Champions League winners Real Madrid return to the UAE.
“For our fourth hosting in December, the European representative will be Real Madrid. This club is a global institution and they have a wonderful team — they will bring a lot of fans from Spain and be of huge interest locally and regionally.”
Fifa Club World Cup is now intrinsically linked to Abu Dhabi because the emirate has hosted 3 previous editions and we’ve done a good job Al Romaithi