SEATTLE, WASH. – Following this morning’s FIFA Club World Cup 2022 official draw, Sounders FC is set to face the winner of Auckland City (New Zealand) and Al Ahly SC (Egypt) in the Second Round of the tournament on Saturday, February 4 in Tangier, Morocco at 9:30 a.m. PT. Auckland City and Al Ahly SC meet in the First Round on Wednesday, February 1, also in Tangier, at 11:00 a.m. PT. The winner of Seattle’s Second Round matchup will face Real Madrid (Spain) in the Semifinals on Wednesday, February 8 in Rabat, Morocco at 11:00 a.m. PT. The Spanish giant has won the FIFA Club World Cup a record four times (2014, 2016-2018). Both the Final and the Third-Place matches are taking place on Saturday, February 11 in Rabat at 7:30 a.m. PT and 11:00 a.m. PT, respectively.
Wydad AC (Morocco) and Al Hilal SFC (Saudi Arabia) are set to meet in the other Second Round match, also on February 4, in Rabat at 6:30 a.m. PT, with the winner to face Flamengo (Brazil) in the Semifinals on February 7 in Tangier at 11:00 a.m. PT.
Sounders FC secured its place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2022 after its title-winning run in the 2022 Concacaf Champions League, becoming the first MLS side to win the tournament. Seattle defeated Liga MX side Pumas UNAM 5-2 on aggregate in the Final, including a 3-0 home win in the second leg at Lumen Field in front of a record crowd of 68,741, which broke the all-time Concacaf Champions League Final attendance record for a standalone match. The second leg result featured a brace from Raúl RuidÃaz and a goal from Nico Lodeiro, as well as Stefan Frei’s fourth shutout of the competition, which earned him Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Player of the Tournament honors.