European champions Bayern will face either Al Ahly of Egypt or host nation Qatar's Al-Duhail on February 8, after the tournament draw was conducted at the Zurich headquarters of FIFA.

German treble-winner Bayern get a bye and begin their campaign in the semi-finals of a pandemic-hit competition, which is being played with six teams instead of seven and in 2021 instead of last December as originally planned.

The February 4 clash between Mexico's CONCACAF champions Tigres UANL and Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea the opening match.

South America's entry will not be known until the January 30 final of the Copa Libertadores.

Palmeiras face Santos in an all-Brazilian final at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The Copa Libertadores champions will play Tigres or Ulsan Hyundai.

The event normally brings together the winners from the six FIFA confederations and a team from the host nation.

However, first FIFA tournament to be played since the coronavirus pandemic has only six teams after perennial Oceania qualifiers Auckland City withdrew.

Auckland last week said they could not travel to Qatar, citing "COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities".

The number of stadiums for the CWC has been reduced to just two after Auckland's withdrawal with Doha's Khalifa International Stadium dropped.

The six games will be staged at Education City and Ahmad Bin Ali Stadiums in Al Rayyan.

Education City Stadium will host the February 11 CWC final.

A limited number of fans will be admitted to the six games amid a strict hygiene protocol to the event which is a test of sorts for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Europe's champions have won the CWC in 12 of the past 13 editions, with Chelsea's defeat to Corinthians of Brazil in 2012 the only blemish.

Australian Associated Press