Real Madrid to meet Club America or Asian champion in Club World Cup

Real Madrid learned its Club World Cup fate on Wednesday, with the draw for the annual competition revealing the bracket for this year's tournament in Japan.

Los Blancos, granted a bye into the semi-final - as is the case every year for the reigning European champion - will meet either Mexican side Club America or the winner of the AFC Champions League (Asia) on Dec. 15.

Colombian side Atletico Nacional, which earned a spot by virtue of winning the Copa Libertadores in July, was granted the bracket's other automatic semi-final berth. Elsewhere, the J. League champion will clash with Auckland City in a playoff to determine who plays the CAF Champions League winner (Africa) in the quarter-finals.

The J. League winner is involved this year by virtue of Japan's status as tournament host.

The Club World Cup, which features the champion of each respective confederation, begins on Dec. 8 at Yokohama's International Stadium.

Real Madrid has won the tournament once before, emerging victorious in 2014 by defeating San Lorenzo in the final in Morocco.

Held in its current form since 2000, the Club World Cup has seen only European and South American teams take home the top prize. The European representative has, not surprisingly, enjoyed the lion's share of success, winning the tournament on eight occasions.