The final of the FIFA Club World Cup is on Saturday as Champions League winners Chelsea face Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras in Abu Dhabi. The Blues barely got by Al-Hilal in the semifinals, winning 1-0, while Palmeras took care of Al Ahly 2-0. Neither team has ever won the competition, with Chelsea losing their only ever appearance in the final. This will be Palmeiras’ first ever Club World Cup final. Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 12 | Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium — Abu Dhabi, UAE
- TV: FS2 and Fox Deportes | Live stream: fuboTV (Try now)
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Team news
Chelsea: Now that Christian Pulisic has thawed out from that trip to Minnesota with the United States men’s national team, might we see him in the final? The American did not feature in the semifinal match, so he should be fresh as can be for this one. Meanwhile, Ben Chilwell remains out due to his his knee injury, while Reece James is nearing his return from a hamstring injury. Goalkeeper Eduoard Mendy, fresh off winning AFCON is also back in the fold.
Palmeiras: Not many changes are expected for the South American champs, but there will be massive pressure on the center back pairing of Gustavo Gomez and Luan. One of the top defensive duos in all of Brazil, they will be tasked with keeping track of Romelu Lukaku. In attack, Rony is also expected to start once again as he’s now scored double-digit goals in back-to-back seasons for the club.
Prediction
The Blues win their first ever Club World Cup as Romelu Lukaku scores a dramatic winner in extra time. Pick: Chelsea 2, Palmeiras 1 (ET)
