Real Madrid qualify for the Fifa Club World Cup in UAE

Real Madrid overpowered Juventus at the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup for the second consecutive year

This was their 12th victory and fourth qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup.

The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 will be held in Abu Dhabi from December 6-16. Eight title-deciding matches will be contested between seven club champions across two stadia - Zayed Sports City and Hazza Bin Zayed - for the ultimate club accolade.

In 2016, Real Madrid won their second FIFA Club World Cup title, however, their La Liga rivals, Barcelona, still had one up on them with three Club World Cup title wins. Now, after qualifying once again for the tournament, Real Madrid have been granted a golden opportunity to go for the Championship title once again and in that, equal Barcelona's record in the competition. Moreover, club legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, will be gunning for his own record-breaking figures. As of 2016, Ronaldo is among the FIFA Club World Cup's top scorers, tied with Messi, Luis Suarez, and Cesar Delgado at five goals each. If Ronaldo scores more goals in the UAE tournament this December he would likely become FIFA Club World Cup's all-time top scorer.

Real Madrid was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, and won their first La Liga title in 1932. The team became one of the most successful clubs in European football, winning five consecutive Champions League titles between 1955 and 1960. Dubbed as the 'Kings of Europe', Real Madrid's records and trophy collection are unrivalled. The Spaniards now hold 33 La Liga titles and 12 UEFA Champions League titles, both records unbeaten by other clubs. They have also won 19 Copa Del Rey and nine Spanish Super Cup titles to date.

The team are known for their star-studded line-ups, which in the past have included the likes of Santiago Bernabeu Yeste, the legendary Spanish player and club president that Real Madrid's home stadium is now named after; Alfredo di Stefano, Puskas, Luis Figo, Brazil's Ronaldo, David Beckham, Fabio Cannavaro, Ricardo Kaka, Roberto Carlos, Raul Gonzalez, and Zinedine Zidane himself. Today, their stellar line-up includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Marcelo and Karim Benzema.

Real Madrid are now the third continental champions to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 after Mexico's Pachuca and New Zealand's Auckland City. The remaining continental champions will be determined in November with the conclusion of the AFC Champions League, CAF Champions League and Copa Libertadores. The UEFA Champions will qualify directly to the tournament's semifinal round.

VISA cardholders can now purchase their tickets to the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 online via www.FIFA.com/uae2017. The VISA pre-sale will close on June 18 at 12pm.  Tickets will go on sale to the general public on June 19 at 12pm.

Source: Khaleej Times