Fifa has announced the schedule and host country for the final phase of the 2026 Intercontinental Cup, with Qatar once again serving as the host nation. The tournament will determine the club world champion and will feature the participation of the Copa Libertadores winner as the representative of South America.
The first match involving the South American club will be on December 9, 2026, when they will face Toluca of Mexico, champion of the Concacaf Champions League, in a match valid for the Derby of the Americas. The winner of this matchup will play against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa on December 12, 2026, in the Challenger Cup. The winner of this second stage will play for the title against Paris Saint-Germain of France, champion of the UEFA Champions League, in the final scheduled for December 16, 2026. The match times and stadiums have not yet been announced by the organization.
The South American representative will emerge from the Copa Libertadores final, scheduled for November 28, 2026, in Montevideo, Uruguay, contested by candidates such as Palmeiras, which has already secured a spot in the final after eliminating Fluminense, and the winner of the other semifinal between Flamengo and Estudiantes of Argentina. If a Brazilian club wins the tournament, the debut on December 9 will take place three days after the scheduled date for the Copa do Brasil final on December 6, 2026. The competition has already had matches played previously, such as Al-Ahli's victory over Auckland FC on August 26, 2026, and Mamelodi Sundowns' triumph over Al-Ahli on September 19, 2026.