Al-Ahli to host Auckland FC in Jeddah today at 9PM local time
Al-Ahli and Auckland FC will kick off the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026™ when they meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. The opening match of the annual global club competition, which features top teams from FIFA's six confederations, will pit the champions of Asia and Oceania against one another in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Play-Off™.
Al-Ahli qualified by winning the AFC Champions League Elite, while Auckland FC earned the right to represent Oceania in the competition after coming out on top in the inaugural OFC Professional League. The winners of the match in Jeddah will advance to face CAF champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday, 19 September.
That encounter will decide the winners of the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup™ and determine which club will progress to the final stages of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026.
The opening fixtures are as follows:
FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Play-Off Al-Ahli v. Auckland FC 9PM (local time),
Wednesday, 26 August 2026 6AM, Thursday, 27 August (Auckland) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup Mamelodi Sundowns v. Al-Ahli/Auckland FC Saturday, 19 September 2026 Pretoria, South Africa
The final three matches will be played in one host country, which will be confirmed in due course.
The FIFA Derby of the Americas™ will see Concacaf Champions Cup holders Toluca go head-to-head with the winners of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, who will be crowned in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Saturday, 28 November.
The victors in the FIFA Derby of the Americas will then take on the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup winners in the FIFA Challenger Cup™, with the chance to face UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 final at stake.
Five of the six participating clubs have been confirmed: Al-Ahli - AFC champions
Mamelodi Sundowns - CAF champions
Toluca - Concacaf champions
Auckland FC - OFC champions