'Let's see if they win this one' - FIFA Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar a chance for Kylian Mbappe & Real Madrid's French stars to erase painful Doha memories, says Jassim Abdulaziz Al-Jassim

The revamped FIFA Intercontinental Cup final is all set to kick-off on December 18, 2024, at the Lusail Stadium in Doha.

Reigning European champions Real Madrid, who automatically qualified for the marquee game, will be up against Liga MX side Pachuca who defeated African champions Al Ahly last Saturday in the Challenger Cup match.

Carlo Ancelotti's side will be the favourites to win the first edition since the revamp of the tournament. The Intercontinental Cup will be the continuation of the FIFA Club World Cup which was held annually every year till 2023.

With FIFA launching a new Club World Cup, to be played in an expanded format once every four years, the Intercontinental Cup will be the annual global club competition.

Wednesday's Intercontinental Cup final is being held exactly two years after the thrilling 2022 World Cup final, which ended in a penalty shootout heartbreak for France. Despite Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick, Lionel Messi's Argentina lifted the World Cup on that fateful night at the Lusail Stadium.

Now, as Kylian Mbappe returns to the same venue where he saw his dream of winning consecutive World Cups evaporate, the 25-year-old will be desperate to erase some of those painful memories and lift the Intercontinental Cup trophy.

Along with Mbappe, his compatriots Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga will also be hoping to put that harrowing loss from 2022 behind them with a win against Pachuca.

Jassim Abdulaziz Al-Jassim, CEO of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024 LOC (Local Organising Committee), stated that he wished Mbappe and his compatriots at Real Madrid could taste success at the Lusail Stadium, the same venue where they lost the World Cup two years back.

"The Intercontinental Cup final is happening two years after the (2022) World Cup final. We have some players participating tomorrow who were also in that final, especially the French players. They didn’t win that one. Let’s see if they win this one. It’s a special day for us in Qatar," he said in a media interaction.

Al-Jassim also touched on how Qatar are evolving into a global sporting event hub and shared insight upon why FIFA trusts the Middle-East nation to deliver high quality tournaments.

"Me and my team together have been organising these tournaments up until the Asian Cup 2023 and now until the Intercontinental Cup. FIFA are very comfortable with the people working here because they know the standards we deliver," he stated.

He went on to highlight how the 2022 World Cup and the subsequent 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar attracted more female fans and children than before and stated that Qatar's focus on these tournaments being inclusive paid off.

"Before the 2022 World Cup, there were not a lot of women attending matches and there was not a lot of interest from women. We saw at the World Cup that the number of women and children attending specifically increased dramatically. (The situation) during the Asian Cup was also exactly the same. A lot of women and children are attending the Intercontinental Cup final also now. That’s the social legacy of the World Cup," he added.

Man City are officially the 'defending champions' of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024, given that it is an evolution of the former FIFA Club World Cup.

Meanwhile, Qatar are set to host an array of sporting events in the coming future, starting with the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup. They also have designs to host the 2036 Olympics.

Real Madrid, the favourites to win the Intercontinental Cup title, will be wary of Liga MX side Pachuca. They've already demonstrated their capabilities by upsetting Botafogo in the FIFA Derby of the Americas on December 11.

But with Mbappe cleared to play the Intercontinental Cup final, the Spanish side will hope their star man powers them to yet another title to add to their ever-burgeoning trophy room.