JEDDAH: Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad and their star striker Karim Benzema avoided Manchester City in the semifinal draw on Tuesday for the first FIFA Club World Cup to be hosted by the Kingdom.
The December 12-22 tournament for continental champions and the host nation’s league winner will be played in Al-Ittihad’s home city Jeddah.
The event will be the last Club World Cup in the current annual format before a 32-team version played every four years starts in June 2025. The inaugural host is the US.
