Americas derby! Lib champs learn 1st 2026 Mundial rival | OneFootball

2026 Club World Cup quarterfinal match already has its first team defined

Current champions of the Derby of the Americas, Flamengo dream of winning it twice in a row. To do that, they need to win the 2026 Libertadores and beat the Concacaf champions at the Club World Cup in December. That first opponent has already been decided: Toluca, from Mexico.

Toluca secured the spot last Saturday (30) by winning the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Concachampions, against Tigres (MEX). After a 1-1 draw in regular time, the champion was decided in a thrilling penalty shootout, which ended 6-5.

That means five teams have already qualified for the Club World Cup, or Intercontinental, as FIFA has been calling it. Toluca, Al Ahli (SAU), Auckland FC (NZL), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA), and PSG (FRA). The tournament bracket will follow the same format as last year’s edition.

WHAT IS THE INTERCONTINENTAL BRACKET?

HOW DID FLAMENGO DO IN LAST YEAR’S CLUB WORLD CUP?

As champions of the 2025 Libertadores, Flamengo faced another Mexican side in the Derby of the Americas. With a brilliant performance from Arrascaeta, who scored twice, Mengão beat Cruz Azul (MEX) 2-1. In the Challenger Cup, the semifinal, Léo Pereira and Danilo scored the goals against African champions Pyramids (EGY): 2-0. In the final, Jorginho even scored, but Fla drew 1-1 with PSG and lost on penalties.

WHAT DOES FLAMENGO NEED TO DO TO RETURN TO THE CLUB WORLD CUP?

To face Toluca, Flamengo need to win the Libertadores. However, unlike the other continents, the tournament is still in the round of 16. The Most Beloved will face Cruzeiro in August, with the first leg at Mineirão and the second leg at the Maracanã.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.