Club World Cup: FIFA names rival, Flamengo chase Intercontinental spot | OneFootball

Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) will face the Libertadores or Concacaf champion in the semifinal

Flamengo is three games away from qualifying for the Intercontinental 2026. Even with the Libertadores champion still undecided, the world tournament has already begun. Last Saturday (19), South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns beat Al Ahli (SAU) 2-1 and secured a place in the semifinal.

Flamengo, Estudiantes (ARG), Palmeiras, or Fluminense will make their debut against Toluca of Mexico in the Derby of the Americas, a kind of quarterfinal. If the 2026 Libertadores champion advances, they will face Mamelodi Sundowns in the match FIFA calls the Challenger Cup. Finally, the ‘survivor’ will take on PSG (FRA) in the Intercontinental final.

INTERCONTINENTAL BRACKET FOR THE LIBERTADORES CHAMPION

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FLAMENGO KNOWS THE PATHS

As last year’s Libertadores champion, Flamengo knows well how to win two of the three trophies that will be at stake. In December last year, Mengão won the Derby of the Americas with a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul (MEX) and lifted the Challenger Cup by beating Pyramids (EGY) 2-0. However, in the Intercontinental, after a 1-1 draw with PSG, the European Champions League winners came out on top in the penalty shootout.

WHAT DOES FLAMENGO STILL NEED TO DO TO PLAY IN THE INTERCONTINENTAL?

Flamengo is three steps away from the Intercontinental. The first will come on October 15, in Argentina, against Estudiantes (ARG), in the first leg of the Libertadores semifinal. The following week, on 10/22, the ‘hermanos’ will go to the Maracanã. Whoever advances will face the winner of Palmeiras and Fluminense in the continent’s grand final, in November, in Uruguay.

AUTHOR’S OPINION

— It’s so close, yet so far away at the same time. Having the chance to play in the Intercontinental once again would be incredible, but to get there, Flamengo has two battles against Estudiantes and then an all-Brazilian final. The rubro-negro fans hope this story ends against PSG and with the long-awaited revenge. The Nation wants to shout once again that “no one gets away owing us” — said Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla, Brazil’s leading news site dedicated to Mengão.

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