Al Ain to face Manchester City in expanded 2025 Fifa Club World Cup group stage

The UAE's reigning Asian champions Al Ain will face Manchester City in the revamped 2025 Fifa Club World Cup group stage following a draw in Miami on Thursday night.

The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the US next summer, has been advocated by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, but has been met with some resistance as it adds yet more fixtures to an already congested calendar.

City and fellow Premier League giants Chelsea qualified as 2023 and 2021 Champions League winners respectively, but were kept apart in the draw for the group stage as part of Fifa's complex regional constraints.

Pep Guardiola's side will play Moroccan outfit Wydad AC in their opening Group G fixture before taking on Al Ain, then Italian giants Juventus.

Brazilian artist Romero Britto draws the name of Al Ain FC during the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup draw ceremony in Miami on December 5, 2024. AFP

Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal landed alongside Real Madrid in Group H as well as Mexico's Pachuca and RB Salzburg.

Chelsea start in Group D against Mexico's Club Leon, then Flamengo and Esperance Tunis.

Should both English clubs progress to the knockout stages as group winners, they would go into opposite sides of the draw and would then not meet until the final.

The draw in Miami proved a protracted affair, which also included a video message from US president-elect Donald Trump.

“The event is going to be incredible. I will try to be there if I can,” Mr Trump said. “Gianni is a winner. He is a president and I am the President. We have known each other a long time.

“Football is going through the roof, it has been doing very well. It really is taking over the United States as a sport. We are also going to be watching the [2026] World Cup very soon. I was very responsible along with Gianni in getting it, and it is going to be a fantastic thing.”

City beat Brazilian side Fluminense to win the Club World Cup in its previous format for the first time in 2023, while Chelsea won the 2021 final against Palmeiras.

The tournament will kick off with an opening game featuring Lionel Messi's Inter Miami against Egyptians Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium on June 15.

Inter Miami's involvement as the host nation team is controversial. The Herons won the regular-season Supporters Shield, but missed out on being crowned major league Soccer champions with defeat to Atlanta in the MLS Cup play-offs.

The Club World Cup final is set to be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13.

Despite the backing of Fifa president Infantino, the expanded tournament has caused plenty of concern, including from players' union Fifpro.

Fifa has been accused of failing to consult adequately with player unions and leagues on the international fixture calendar – with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters describing the introduction of the new club competition as the “tipping point”.

Unions' concerns centre chiefly on player welfare, with those based in Europe who go deep into the tournament set to be afforded very little time to properly rest and recover before the 2025-2026 domestic seasons begin. Players have also spoken out.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language

2018: Formal work begins
November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
November 2024: All 127 volumes completed

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Know before you go

Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

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The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50

Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)

UAE finals day

Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins