2015 FIFA Club World Cup

Host bids

The application process for the 2015–2016 as well as the 2017–2018 editions, i.e. two hosts, each hosting two years, began in February 2014. Member associations interested in hosting had to submit a declaration of interest by 30 March 2014, and provide the complete set of bidding documents by 25 August 2014. The FIFA Executive Committee was to select the hosts at their meeting in Morocco in December 2014. However, no such decision regarding the 2015–2016 host was made until 2015.

The following countries expressed an interest in bidding to host the tournament:

• (withdrew interest in November 2014)

Japan was officially confirmed as the host of the 2015 and 2016 tournaments on 23 April 2015.

Proposed change to format

Under a proposed change to the competition, led by the Oceania Football Confederation, the new format would mean a removal of the knockout rounds for the quarter-finals and play-off round, replacing it with two round-robin groups of three teams, consisting of two teams from the host nation and the champions of AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, and OFC, with the group winners advancing to the semi-finals to play the champions of CONMEBOL and UEFA. This would allow for all teams to play at least two matches, avoiding the current situation where the loser of the play-off round would play only one match. However, this proposal was not implemented.

Qualified teams

Notes

Venues

On 22 May 2015, Nagai Stadium in Osaka and International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama were named as the two venues that would be used in the tournament.

Match officials

The appointed match officials were:

Squads

Main article: 2015 FIFA Club World Cup squads

Each team had to name a 23-man squad (three of whom had to be goalkeepers) by the FIFA deadline of 30 November 2015. The squads of six of the seven teams were released by FIFA on 3 December 2015 (except Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who only confirmed their place in the tournament on 5 December 2015). Injury replacements were allowed until 24 hours before the team's first match.

Matches

The schedule of the tournament, together with the emblem, was unveiled on 24 August 2015.

A draw was held on 23 September 2015, 14:00 CEST (UTC+2), at the FIFA headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland, to determine the positions in the bracket for the three teams which enter the quarter-finals.

If a match was tied after normal playing time:

• For elimination matches, extra time was played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out was held to determine the winner.
• For the matches for fifth place and third place, no extra time was played, and a penalty shoot-out was held to determine the winner.

| team-width = 180 | score-width = 40

| RD1-text1 = 10 December – Yokohama | RD1-team1 = Sanfrecce Hiroshima | RD1-score1 = 2 | RD1-team2 = Auckland City | RD1-score2 = 0

| RD2-text1 = 13 December – Osaka | RD2-team1 = TP Mazembe | RD2-score1 = 0 | RD2-team2 = Sanfrecce Hiroshima | RD2-score2 = 3

| RD2-text2 = 13 December – Osaka | RD2-team3 = América | RD2-score3 = 1 | RD2-team4 = Guangzhou Evergrande | RD2-score4 = 2

| RD3-text1 = 16 December – Osaka | RD3-team1 = Sanfrecce Hiroshima | RD3-score1 = 0 | RD3-team2 = River Plate | RD3-score2 = 1

| RD3-text2 = 17 December – Yokohama | RD3-team3 = Barcelona | RD3-score3 = 3 | RD3-team4 = Guangzhou Evergrande | RD3-score4 = 0

| RD4-text1 = 20 December – Yokohama | RD4-team1 = River Plate | RD4-score1 = 0 | RD4-team2 = Barcelona | RD4-score2 = 3

| RD3-text3 = 16 December – Osaka | RD3-team5 = TP Mazembe | RD3-score5 = 1 | RD3-team6 = América | RD3-score6 = 2

| RD4-text2 = 20 December – Yokohama | RD4-team3 = Sanfrecce Hiroshima | RD4-score3 = 2 | RD4-team4 = Guangzhou Evergrande | RD4-score4 = 1

All times are local, JST (UTC+9).

Play-off for quarter-finals

Shiotani

Quarter-finals

Paulinho

Chiba Asano

Match for fifth place

Zúñiga

Semi-finals

Match for third place

Final

Main article: 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final

Suárez

Goalscorers

Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament.

FIFA also named a man of the match for the best player in each game at the tournament.

References

References

1. (9 December 2015). "Alibaba E-Auto signs as Presenting Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup".
2. "Regulations – FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015". FIFA.
3. (23 April 2015). "Japan set to host continental champions in 2015 and 2016".
4. (19 December 2013). "Blatter: A legacy for the future".
5. (19 December 2013). "Bidding process opened for eight FIFA competitions".
6. (15 October 2014). "India may get to host FIFA Club World Cup".
7. (9 May 2014). "High interest in hosting FIFA competitions".
8. (13 November 2014). "India not bidding for 2015 and 2016 Fifa Club World Cups". The Times of India.
9. (30 November 2014). "Football: More matches likely in Club Cup". [[New Zealand Herald]].
10. (22 May 2015). "Osaka to debut as a FIFA Club World Cup venue".
11. (10 November 2015). "Referees and assistant referees selected".
12. "Referees & Assistant referees for FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015".
13. (3 December 2015). "Squad lists released for Club World Cup".
14. "FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 – Squad Lists".
15. "Tickets for the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015".
16. (24 August 2015). "Japan Reveals Official Emblem for FIFA Club World Cup".
17. (22 September 2015). "The draw LIVE on FIFA.com".
18. (23 September 2015). "Draw for Japan 2015 conducted in Zurich".
19. "Match Schedule – FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015".
20. (10 December 2015). "Match report Sanfrecce Hiroshima – Auckland City FC 2:0 (1:0)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
21. (13 December 2015). "Match report Club América – Guangzhou Evergrande FC 1:2 (0:0)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
22. (13 December 2015). "Match report TP Mazembe – Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0:3 (0:1)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
23. (16 December 2015). "Match report Club América – TP Mazembe 2:1 (2:1)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
24. (16 December 2015). "Match report Sanfrecce Hiroshima – River Plate 0:1 (0:0)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
25. (17 December 2015). "Match report FC Barcelona – Guangzhou Evergrande FC 3:0 (1:0)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
26. (20 December 2015). "Match report Sanfrecce Hiroshima – Guangzhou Evergrande FC 2:1 (0:1)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
27. (20 December 2015). "Match report River Plate – FC Barcelona 0:3 (0:1)". Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
28. (20 December 2015). "Barcelona trio sweep awards".
29. "FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015: Technical report and statistics". [[FIFA]].