Club World Cup 2016: Schedule, Bracket, Fixtures, TV Info; Real Madrid, Club América Going For FIFA Glory

It may not yet be the most prestigious competition around, but for the continental champions currently in Japan there is no doubting their determination to walk away with the title of champion of the world.

After two years in Morocco, the FIFA Club World Cup is back in the familiar home of Japan. When it was a simple matchup between the champions of Europe and South America, known as the Intercontinental Cup, the game was held in Japan between 1980 and 2004. And Japan has held seven of the competitions since it came under FIFA’s umbrella in 2005 and expanded to include each of the champions from the continental associations.

Unsurprisingly, it has been Europe that has dominated the event in recent years. The winner of the Champions League has gone on to be crowned the world’s best in eight of the nine last years. And Real Madrid will begin as red-hot favorite to win the title for the second time in three years.

For Zinedine Zidane, it is a chance to add to the two Intercontinental Cups he won as a player and complete a memorable first year in charge of Real Madrid. Currently on a club-record 35-game unbeaten streak, the champion of Europe could hardly wish to be arriving in Japan in better form. The Spanish giants also includes among its ranks the man crowned Ballon d’Or winner on Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The club given the ominous task of trying to stop Real Madrid in the semifinals on Thursday will be Concacaf Champions League Winners Club América. Already the Mexican giant has acquitted itself better than in last year’s competition when it suffered a quarterfinal exit at the hands of Asian champion Guangzhou Evergrande. That same fate was avoided in Osaka on Sunday when it overcame current Asian Champions League winner Jeonbuk Hyundai of South Korea 2-1.

On the other side of the bracket, Atlético Nacional will be aiming to make it nine times in 11 years that the final of the competition has been a Europe versus South America affair.

The Colombian side, which like Real Madrid received a bye into the semifinals, arrived in Japan after a hugely successful year. As well as lifting the Copa Libertadores title for the second time in its history at the end of July, Atlético Nacional also reached the final of South América’s secondary competition, the Copa SudAméricana.

However, that’s when tragedy struck as a plane carrying its opponent, Chapecoense, crashed en route to Medellin two weeks ago, killing 19 of its players as well as members of its coaching staff and club officials.

The night following the crash, at the time that the first leg of the final was due to be played, tens of thousands of Atlético Nacional fans crowded in and around the stadium in Medellin for a candlelight vigil. The club also gave its blessing for the trophy to be handed to Chapecoense.

Emotions may still be high when Atlético Nacional takes on the local representative in the competition, Kashima Antlers, in the semifinals on Wednesday. The J- League champion got the better of African champion Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

TV Schedule

Semifinals
Wednesday, Dec. 14: Atlético Nacional vs. Kashima Antlers (5:30 a.m., Fox Sports 1)
Thursday, Dec. 15: Real Madrid vs. Club América (5:30 a.m., Fox Sports 1)

Third-Place Playoff
Sunday, Dec. 18: Semifinal 1 loser vs. Semifinal 2 loser (2 a.m., Fox Sports 1)

Final
Sunday, Dec. 18: Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner (5:30 a.m., Fox Sports 1)