fuboTV grabs exclusive rights to Club World Cup in Canada

Ahead of February 3’s kickoff, fuboTV secured the exclusive broadcast rights to the FIFA Club World Cup in Canada.

The Club World Cup pits each soccer federation’s club champion against each other. The annual tournament takes place over nine days from a country that differs each year. However, FIFA switches the host every two years, typically in Africa, Asia or the Middle East.

This year, the tournament takes place in the United Arab Emirates.

Despite taking place from February 3 to 12 in 2022, the tournament is under the name of the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup. Originally, FIFA scheduled the tournament for the Summer of 2021. However, due to a congested schedule of the Olympics, Copa America and UEFA European Championship

fuboTV acquiring the rights to broadcast the Club World Cup in Canada allows Canadians easy access to watch some of the world’s best. Of course, many of those players come from the UEFA and CONMEBOL.

This year, UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea enter as the pre-tournament favorite. The CONMEBOL representative is Palmeiras, which won the Copa Libertadores in 2021.

Historical Success

This is not Chelsea’s first time in the FIFA Club World Cup, nor is it for Palmeiras. Ergo, the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup will crown a first-time champion.

That being said, the continents these two teams hail from are the only two continents to produce a champion. Unsurprisingly, UEFA is the most successful federation. Of the 17 tournaments, 13 tournaments went to UEFA sides.

For the other four tournaments, three different Brazilian sides make up all of those triumphs. Internacional and Sao Paulo each have a Club World Cup trophy, in 2006 and 2005 respectively. Then, Palmeiras’s long-storied rival Corinthians is the most successful South American side, with two tournament wins.

Even then, Spanish sides have a clear-cut dominance in the competition. Real Madrid’s four titles and Barcelona’s three reflect the brilliance of those clubs from 2007 to 2018.

This year, Chelsea looks to continue Europe’s stranglehold in the competition. Interestingly, Chelsea was actually the runner-up the last time a non-European side won the competition. That was in 2o12, when the Blues lost to Corinthians.

Format

With Europe and South America clearly representing the toughest continental competitions, these clubs have a slightly easier path.

In total, there are seven teams from six confederations. Each confederation, UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC and OFC send their ‘Champions League’, or equivalent tournament, champion. The seventh team is the winner of the host country’s domestic league from the season prior.

Remember, this is solely a bracket-style, single-elimination competition.

The first round is that seventh team from the host nation against the representative from OFC. The winner of this fixture then advances to the second round, joined by the teams from CAF, AFC and CONCACAF. Then, the winners from those two games advance to play the teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL in the semi-finals.

This year, the teams are as follows, with the confederation each side represents:

• Chelsea (UEFA)
• Palmeiras (CONMEBOL)
• Al Hilal (AFC)
• Al Ahly (CAF)
• Monterrey (CONCACAF)
• AS Pirae (OFC)
• Al Jazira (UAE Pro League Winners)

fuboTV and FIFA Club World Cup in Canada

fuboTV’s deal to broadcast the Club World Cup in Canada represents an increased effort to put soccer in the country.

Earlier in 2022, fuboTV announced the acquisition of the exclusive broadcasting rights to the Premier League in Canada. Of course, Chelsea fans must be rejoicing, now with two competitions to watch the defending UEFA Champions League winners.

Moreover, fuboTV holds the rights to broadcast other soccer properties in Canada. For one, the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.

However, more related to club soccer, fuboTV also has Italy’s Serie A and Coppa Italia. Serie A features clubs that have success in the FIFA Club World Cup, such as AC Milan and Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Serie A developed into one of the more competitive leagues in European soccer, despite the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus.