Kick-off on 12.12.23 20:00.

The Tigers will participate in the Club World Cup as the winner of the Saudi Arabian Championship — the host country of the competition. The team from Jeddah are returning to the tournament after eighteen years. The New Zealand team are participating in the FIFA Club World Cup for the eleventh time. AFC in May won the Oceania Champions League and earned the right to represent the confederation on the international stage.

Watch the Al-Ittihad — Auckland City match online; the opponents have not met before. In 2005, when the club from the Mecca region participated in the Club World Cup for the only time, they defeated Egyptian Al-Ahly in the quarter-finals. According to Capology, two players from the Tigers are among the top ten highest-paid players in Saudi Arabia. Benzema is in third place (100 million euros), and Kanté is in eighth place (25 million euros). In November, Espirito Santo was fired due to a conflict with Karim. The vacant position was filled by former River Plate coach Gallardo. Among the candidates was Lopetegui, but insider Romano claims that the Spanish specialist wants to find a job in the Premier League. Bookmakers have included Al-Ittihad in the top three favorites of the competition. Watch the Al-Ittihad vs. Auckland City match online.

Benzema's lawyer stated that he would file a lawsuit against the head of the French Ministry of the Interior due to allegations of the forward's connection with terrorists. The politician expressed his position after the public support of the forward to the peaceful residents of Gaza. Foot Mercato reports that the mayor of Marseille called for stripping the footballer of citizenship.

Auckland City have participated more often than any other team in the current edition of the Club World Cup. Only in 2009 and 2014, City reached the quarter-finals, surpassing the Emirati Shabab Al-Ahli, 2-0, and the Moroccan Maghreb Athletic (0-0, 4-3 on penalties). In the last tournament, the New Zealand team was eliminated at this stage by Egyptian Al-Ahly, 0-3. Watch the Al-Ittihad vs. Auckland City match online.