The 13th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup is nearly upon us, where the champions of the six confederations and the Japanese J1 League winners will be competing for the title as the world’s greatest. Eight games over five matchdays will determine the best team on the planet, with the tournament spread over two venues - Yokohama and Osaka. The action commences with Kashima Antlers facing Auckland City in the first round on 8 December at the International Stadium Yokohama.

To whet the appetite ahead of the club showpiece event, FIFA.com has dipped into the record books to bring you some of the tournament’s most eye-catching statistics.

3 The number of teams making their debut at the FIFA Club World Cup this year: Mamelodi Sundowns, Kashima Antlers and Atletico Nacional, taking the number of teams that have participated at the tournament through the years to 58.

100 Auckland City and Kashima Antlers’ meeting in the first round will be the tournament’s 100th game. While newcomers Kashima are making their debut, seasoned Auckland are set to appear at their eighth Club World Cup, a tournament record.

9 The number of Brazilian players taking part at Japan 2016. Marcelo, Casemiro, Danilo (Real Madrid); Leonardo, Edu (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors); Fabricio, Bueno (Kashima Antlers); William Da Silva (Club America) and Ricardo (Mamelodi Sundowns). Brazil is the most represented country with no team at the tournament. Only Atletico Nacional and Auckland City are without Brazilian players in their squads.

22 The difference in years between Ivan Vicelich (40) and Sean Cooper (18), the oldest and youngest players at Japan 2016. Both are team-mates at Auckland City. Among some of the older heads at the competition is Jeonbuk frontman Lee Donggook, who played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™ before defender Cooper was born.

5 The number of players that have won the Club World Cup on three occasions: Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique. Should Real Madrid triumph at Japan 2016, Toni Kroos and Cristiano Ronaldo would also add their names to that list. Both lifted the trophy with Los Blancos at Morocco 2014, while Kroos experienced success at Morocco 2013 with Bayern Munich, and Ronaldo with Manchester United in 2008.

11 The tournament-record number of Club World Cup matches that Egyptian trio Wael Gomaa, Hossam Ashour and Mohamed Aboutrika have each played in, all for five-time Club World Cup participants Al Ahly.

3 The number of players who have scored for more than one team at the Club World Cup. Ronaldinho (Barcelona and Atletico Mineiro), Dwight Yorke (Manchester United and Sydney FC) and Neri Cardozo (Boca Juniors and Monterrey) are the only players to have achieved the feat to date.

8 The most amount of goals scored in one FIFA Club World Cup match. The game in question was Manchester United’s 5-3 victory over Gamba Osaka in the 2008 semi-final, the tournament’s highest-scoring game.

3 The number of players who hold the accolade of being the Club World Cups joint-top scorers, with Cesar Delgado, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez all having five goals to their name. Delgado racked up his tally with Monterrey in back-to-back appearances in 2012 and 2013, Messi notched his five goals over three appearances in 2009, 2011 and 2015 and Luis Suarez recorded his entire haul at Japan 2015.

66,853 The attendance at last year’s Club World Cup final between Barcelona and River Plate at the International Stadium Yokohama, where Barca claimed their third title with a 3-0 victory over the Argentinian giants. The final’s all-time attendance record stands at 73,000, when Vasco da Gama met Corinthians at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro back in 2000.