Flamengo faces Cruz Azul this Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Estádio Ahmad bin Ali, at Al Rayyan, at Catar, at Dérbi of Américas of The game, scheduled for 6pm Doha local time, represents the red-black team’s first challenge in the annual competition that brings together continental champions. A partida surge como consequência direta do novo formato adotado pela entidade, que impõe etapas adicionais aos representantes sul-americanos devido a desempenhos recentes em torneios globais.
This reformulated structure aims to balance the dispute between confederations, but results in a tighter schedule for teams from Conmebol, who need to win two matches to reach the final. The winner of the duel advances to Copa Challenger against Pyramids, from Egito, on December 13th, at the same location. Apenas, the winner of this phase, faces Paris Saint-Germain in the decision, scheduled for December 17th.
Flamengo arrives at the clash as four-time champions of Copa Libertadores, a title won ten days ago with a 1-0 victory over Palmeiras.
- Main trophies at stake: Dérbi das Américas (blue), Copa Challenger (white) and Copa Intercontinental (main).
- Total prize pool: US$5 million for the champion of the final, against US$1 billion distributed in the expanded Mundial of Clubes.
- History: Último South American to win an intercontinental final was Corinthians, in 2012, against Chelsea.
Revamped competition structure
FIFA introduced changes to Copa Intercontinental for 2025, creating four phases involving six continental clubs. The tournament begins with the Copa África-Asia-Oceania, already contested by the Pyramids, who beat the Auckland City 3-0 and the Al-Ahli 3-1.
The format directly benefits the Europeans, who only enter the final, while South Americans and North Americans play an extra match. Essa’s decision reflects Uefa’s recent dominance in world finals, with back-to-back victories for clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Extra challenges for South Americans
The Conmebol calendar suffers with the new model, which adds a date for the Libertadores champion. Times Brazilians, like Botafogo, faced early eliminations in past editions, which motivated FIFA to “pocket” the bracket. Agora, Flamengo needs two wins for the decisive clash, compared to just one in the previous structure.
This punishment stems from historic stumbles, including defeats to Asians and Africans in semifinals. Confederação Sul-Americana argued for the inclusion of more vacancies in Mundial from Clubes, but Intercontinental continues as an annual test. Coach Filipe Luís highlighted the importance of the title at Brasil, where it is equivalent to a star on the chest.
The CBF adjusted the Brasileirão to end on December 21st, but the funneling of games allowed the Flamengo to prioritize the main cast in the Catar.
Historical context of the secondary cups
Advantages for Europeans in the new format
Paris Saint-Germain, champion of Champions League 2024-25, awaits directly the final on December 17th, at 6pm local time on Catar. Essa bye reflects the prestige of Uefa, with French clubs seeking the “world champions” patch already used by teams like Chelsea and Real Madrid. The prize of US$5 million for the winner contrasts with the US$115 million earned by Chelsea in Mundial in 2021.
Europeans have dominated since 2013, with only Corinthians interrupting the sequence in 2012. The current format pleases the confederation by reducing travel and fatigue, allowing a focus on national leagues.
Real Madrid, winner of the 2024 edition against Pachuca 3-0, inherited the main trophy and official FIFA recognition for all Intercontinentais since 1960.
Preparation of Flamengo for Dérbi
The Rio team arrived at Catar the previous Saturday, with an eight-hour time difference to Brasil, allowing them to adapt to the time zone. Filipe Luís, interim coach after Brasileirão’s title, praised Cruz Azul’s high pressure, but kept the focus on contract renewal in the background. The squad has played 75 games in 2025, with 52 wins, 12 draws and 11 defeats so far.
Cruz Azul, trained by Nicolás Larcamón, only arrived on Monday, after a journey with stopovers and less than 48 hours of rest. The Mexican is looking for his first intercontinental title, tied to his record of seven wins in Concacaf.
Likely lineups include Agustín Rossi in goal for Flamengo and Andrés Gudiño for Cruz Azul, with highlights like Giorgian for Arrascaeta and Gabriel Fernández.
Complete calendar and broadcasts
The final phase takes place entirely in the Estádio Ahmad bin Ali, with capacity for 45 thousand fans. The Dérbi of the Américas opens hostilities at 6pm on Doha, followed by the Challenger on December 13th and the final on the 17th.
- Global broadcasts: FIFA+ for free streaming, with local coverage on Globo and SporTV on Brasil, and TV Azteca on México.
- Tickets: Disponíveis via the FIFA website, with prices starting at US$20 for Dérbi.
- Referee: Equipe international appointed by FIFA, no details released so far.
The tournament bolsters the global calendar, with FIFA considering it a continuation of the pre-2025 Mundial.
Differences with expanded Mundial
Copa of Mundo of The entity does not publicly equate titles, but awards the world champions patch to the winner of the final.
South Americans have accumulated seven victories in historical formats, against 14 Europeans since 1960. Flamengo, with titles in 1981 and 2019, aims for the third intercontinental star.
This distinction allows for regular disputes, without overloading the calendar with the quadrennial Mundial.
