Fifa praises Abu Dhabi for hosting successful Club World Cup

Fifa has praised Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the rescheduled 2021 Fifa Club World Cup and said that the proposed expansion of future editions is crucial in restoring the tournament's competitive balance.

Abu Dhabi staged the seven-team event earlier this month after original hosts Japan withdrew, with Chelsea crowned champions on February 12 following their extra-time victory against Brazil’s Palmeiras at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium.

The third-placed play-off was contested earlier in the evening at Al Nahyan Stadium, where Egypt’s Al Ahly defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal 4-0 to seal bronze. UAE champions Al Jazira, Tahiti's AS Pirae and Mexico's Monterrey comprised the competition's other three teams.

This year marked the fifth time the Club World Cup has been held in the capital, after successful editions in 2009, 2010, 2017 and 2018. Organisers said the tournament was attended by more than 135,000 spectators across its eight matches.

Speaking last week during a visit to the Football Association, Fifa general secretary Fatma Samoura said: “I heard it’s only in Abu Dhabi where you can have two finals staged in the one evening and this is definitely true.

“Abu Dhabi hosted this Fifa Club World Cup for a fifth time, but I was here during the fourth edition and I could see the investment in terms of innovation, but also in terms of infrastructure that the authorities in the country have decided to put into football.

“That means that they not only understand the power of football to bring joy and smile in the faces of young children and also grown-ups, but also the importance it plays in society.

"[The tournament's final day] was definitely a good demonstration for Abu Dhabi and for the Emirates on how all together we fought