Eduard Spertsyan to make FIFA Intercontinental Cup debut: Al-Ahli’s path could lead to a final against PSG

Armenian midfielder Eduard Spertsyan could play his first FIFA Intercontinental Cup match on August 26. Saudi club Al-Ahli will begin its pursuit of the trophy with a home game against New Zealand’s Auckland.

The match will take place at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. For Spertsyan, it will be another debut following his summer move from Krasnodar to Al-Ahli. In July, the Saudi club signed the midfielder to a four-year contract.

What is the FIFA Intercontinental Cup?

The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is an annual club tournament featuring the winners of the leading competitions from all six FIFA confederations.

The third edition of the tournament under its revamped format will take place in 2026. Most participants have to progress through several playoff rounds, while the reigning UEFA Champions League winner receives a direct place in the final.

This season, that berth went to PSG, who won the Champions League for the second consecutive year.

Spertsyan’s first opponent: the champions of Oceania and the A-League

Al-Ahli’s first obstacle will be New Zealand side Auckland. In May, the club won the inaugural OFC Pro League and secured a place in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Auckland also competes in Australia’s A-League and is the tournament’s reigning champion. In the 2025/26 season final, the New Zealand side defeated Sydney 1-0.

Auckland’s squad also features a player familiar to Armenian football fans — New Zealand forward Logan Rogerson. He played for Yerevan’s Noah during the first half of 2024 before returning home and joining Auckland.

What awaits Al-Ahli if they win?

If Spertsyan’s team gets past Auckland, its next opponent will be the African champion, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.

In May, Sundowns won the CAF Champions League for the second time in the club’s history, defeating Moroccan side AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate in the final.

Mamelodi Sundowns are scheduled to face the winner of Al-Ahli vs. Auckland on September 19 in Pretoria. The winner of that match will claim the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup and continue the pursuit of the tournament’s main trophy.

Toluca, the South American champion and the road to PSG

At the same time, the winner of the American section of the tournament will also be determined.

Mexico’s Toluca, winners of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, will face the winner of the Copa Libertadores. The South American champion has yet to be determined.

The winner of that matchup will then face the strongest team from the African-Asian-Pacific section of the tournament in the FIFA Challenger Cup.

Only the winner of the Challenger Cup will earn a place in the main FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, where PSG will already be waiting.

Spertsyan vs. Safonov in the final?

For Eduard Spertsyan, a potential final could come with a special storyline.

Matvey Safonov, Spertsyan’s former Krasnodar teammate, continues to play for PSG. The Russian goalkeeper has already become one of the main heroes of the Intercontinental Cup: in the 2025 final against Flamengo, Safonov saved four penalties in the shootout and helped the Paris club lift the trophy.

In May 2026, PSG also won the Champions League for the second consecutive year, defeating Arsenal on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Safonov was in goal for the Parisian side in that final as well.

Therefore, if Al-Ahli makes it all the way through the tournament bracket, Spertsyan could face his former teammate in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

However, there are still three steps to take before a potential meeting with PSG. Eduard Spertsyan’s team must take the first of them on August 26, when they face Auckland.

The exact date and venue for the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final have not yet been announced.