Late on Thursday evening, Abu Dhabi time, Al Ain will discover where and against whom they start what could be the greatest adventure in the club’s history.
Matching the standards they set in seizing the last Asian Champions League may have proved difficult over the last few months, but Al Ain are about to be reminded of the major bonus that historic triumph earned them.
That’s their place at the most globally-inclusive elite club tournament ever staged, the 32-team Club World Cup in the USA next summer, the draw for which takes place in Miami (10pm UAE).
Al Ain will be one of the later names drawn from the pot, but manager Leonardo Jardim will have seven months to plot a route through a group whose top two finishers will go to the knockout phase.
The 2025 Club World Cup, with its 63 games, is an entirely different beast from the more slimline, all-knockout version of an event that, in the last two decades, whizzed in and out of the UAE five times, thrillingly so when in 2018 Al Ain made the final against Real Madrid.
In the new, month-long expanded format, it will take seven games to get that far. There will be five clubs from the Mena region dreaming of a long run: Al Ain; Al Hilal of Riyadh; and, by dint of their successes in the African Champions League over the past four years, Cairo’s Al Ahly, Esperance of Tunis and Wydad Casablanca, WAC.
The seedings, released by Fifa this week after Brazil’s Botafogo filled the last available slot by winning the Copa Libertadores – the South American equivalent of the Champions League – have Al Ain in Pot 4, among the lowest ranked contenders.
That means they will not share a group with Esperance, nor with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who have been granted entry via the host nation’s invitation slot.
Nor will they be able to target soft points against the weakest of the 32 teams, the semi-professionals of New Zealand’s Auckland City, whom Al Ain defeated 6-2 in September in the opening round of the 2024 version of the competition, the last of the small-scale Club World Cups, now rebranded as the Intercontinental Cup.
The calibre of teams in Pot 3 is varied enough for Jardim to hope Al Ain have the beating of some of them, although, given Al Ahly’s 3-0 victory over the Asian champions in the Intercontinental Cup in October, he might be pleased to avoid the Egyptian giants.
Botafogo – who won the Copa Libertadores for the first time on Saturday, beating Atletico Mineiro in the final despite having midfielder Gregore sent off in the opening minute – are also among the third seeds, along with Mexican clubs Leon and Monterrey and Argentina’s Boca Juniors, whose squad includes a number of worldly veterans, such as Edinson Cavani, Marcos Rojo and goalkeeper Sergio Romero.
All 12 European qualifiers are distributed between Pots 1 and 2. Four of the eight groups will have two European clubs in them, although there is a mechanism in the draw to ensure no club from the same country will be grouped together.
So if Al Ain were to draw Manchester City from Pot 1 – a fixture sure to generate great interest in Abu Dhabi, given the ownership links to the Premier League champions – they would not face Chelsea in the first phase; if they draw Bayern Munich, they will not also meet Borussia Dortmund.
Also among the Pot 1 teams are River Plate, whom Al Ain beat in the 2018 semi-final, and Real Madrid, along with Bayern, Paris Saint-Germain, Palmeiras and Flamengo. The other Pot 1 Brazilian club, Fluminense, would appear on a current form – they sit a lowly 16th in Brazil’s Serie A – by far the most frail.
From a Pot 2 that includes Inter Milan, the Italian champions, Chelsea, Juventus, Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Porto and Benfica, RB Salzburg might look the most beatable. The Austrians have lost four of their five Uefa Champions League games this season.
But much can change in the next six months. With the elite European clubs all anxious about the fatigue they will be carrying from long seasons – Real Madrid could have played 65 club games by mid-June – it’s a tournament genuinely open to a strong run from a supposed outsider.
For Jardim, one of many critics of the previous format and the way it was structured to give byes into the semi-final for the respective champions of Europe and South America, the new format is a welcome reform.
“There should be better care with the match schedule,” Jardim complained when he was in charge of Al Hilal at the 2021-22 Club World Cup. “I’d warn Fifa that it’s unfair when some teams have to play four matches in eight days and others, better teams, only have to play two and are better rested.
“Teams from Asia [and by implication Africa and North and Central America] should be able to have the ambition to win this Cup.”
His warning has been heard. By the end of proceedings on Thursday, his Al Ain will see how high they must set their ambitions if they are to make their summer trip to America last for more than three games.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
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Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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EXPATS
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The%20specs
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Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
The specs
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Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Kandahar%20
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Napoleon
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
