Al-Ain, the 2018 Club World Cup runner-up to Real Madrid, qualified this season as 2023/2024 Asian Champions League winners.
Serbian Vladimir Ivic was appointed manager last February, picking up six league victories in a dozen games by trying out a 3-5-2 tactical formation for the first time in his career.
Maybe he wanted to try something new after his 4-3-3 approach resulted in being given the boot at both English club Watford and Russian outfit Krasnodar.
Al-Ain may have finished their domestic season in fourth, but they will aim for a higher position in the group. Former Portugal international shotstopper Rui Patricio, plus the prolific striking pair of Kodjo Laba and Soufiane Rahimi, means that they may not be the whipping boys they are billed to be.
Al-Ain FC Player Fact
Togolese international Laba netted the 2024/25 UAE Pro League Golden Boot accolade with 20 goals.
Key Al-Ain FC Players
Goal assists: Bandar Al-Ahbabi & Alejandro Romero
Goalscorers: Kodjo Laba & Soufiane Rahimi
Corners: Alejandro Romero
Penalties: Kodjo Laba & Soufiane Rahimi
Al-Ain FC Group G Games
18 June: Al-Ain FC vs Juventus (Audi Field, Washington D.C.)
22 June: Al-Ain FC vs Manchester City (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
26 June: Al-Ain FC vs Wydad AC (Audi Field, Washington D.C.)
JUVENTUS CLUB WORLD CUP SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS
Giovanni Daffara, Michele Di Gregorio, Giovanni Garofani and Carlo Pinsoglio.
DEFENDERS
Bremer, Andrea Cambiaso, Alberto Costa, Federico Gatti, Javier Gil, Pierre Kalulu, Lloyd Kelly, Jonas Rouhi, Daniele Rugani and Nicolo Savona.
MIDFIELDERS
Vasilije Adzic, Francisco Conceicao, Manuel Locatelli, Douglas Luiz, Weston McKennie, Khephren Thuram, Teun Koopmeiners, Filip Kostic, Augusto Owusu, Nicolo Turco and Timothy Weah.
STRIKERS
Lorenzo Anghele, Nicolo Cudrig, Nico Gonzalez, Tommaso Mancini, Samuel Mbangula, Arkadiusz Milik, Kolo Muani, Alessandro Pietrelli, Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz.