European champions Real Madrid will face Mexican side Cruz Azul or the yet to be determined club champions of Asia in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup after the draw for the annual showpiece in host nation Morocco last night.
The Spanish side are three-time winners of the tournament in its former guise as the Intercontinental Cup and will be favourites going into this year’s event in north Africa from December 10 to 20.
Their opponents in the semi-finals could yet be one of three clubs, with Cruz Azul having already booked a quarter-final place against Western Sydney Wanderers from Australia or Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, who must still contest the final of the Asian Champions League with the second leg on November 1.
In the other half of the draw, South American champions San Lorenzo, of Argentina, are expected to reach the final.