FC Porto to meet Once Caldas in final Intercontinental Cup

FC Porto players hold the Champions' League trophy after beating Monaco at the Arena AufSchalke stadium. Porto will take on South American counterparts Once Caldas of Colombia in the last Intercontinental Cup next month.

European champions FC Porto of Portugal will take on South American counterparts Once Caldas of Colombia in the last Intercontinental Cup next month.

The match at the Yokohama Stadium on December 12 will be the 25th since the event moved to Japan in 1980, with the European and South American clubs each winning 12.

It will be the second time for FC Porto to represent Europe since 1987 when they defeated Penarol of Uruguay 2-1 in heavy snow. Once Caldas will take part in the club competition for the first time.

FC Porto have eight internationals from Portugal, two from Brazil and one each from Greece and South Africa -- including Benedict McCarthy, who became the top goal scorer with 20 goals last season in the Portuguese league.

Once Caldas pulled off upset victories over favourites Santos FC, Sao Paulo FC and defending champions Boca Juniors to win the Libertadores Cup and qualify for the Intercontinental Cup.

From next year the event which features the top European and South American clubs will be replaced by the FIFA Club World Championship, with top clubs from each continent.

This will be held in Tokyo from December 11 to 18, 2005, with a six-team format and prize money of 15 million dollars.

Japan Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi said his country would host the new competition for the following two years.

"There is always certain nostalgia in the air when a long-running competition comes to an end. However, football's popularity has exploded over the last few years," UEFA president Lennart Johansson said in a statement.

"It is therefore time to extend this intercontinental competition to the champions of other continents.

"We should be talking about a new beginning rather than a demise, a new venture built on the solid foundations of the European-South American Cup's 45-year existence," added Johansson.