FIFA Club World Cup

Lore & Background

The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in 2000. In 2005, the Intercontinental Cup was merged with the FIFA Club World Championship, and in 2006, the tournament was renamed as the FIFA Club World Cup. Real Madrid hold the record for most titles, having won the competition five times. Corinthians' inaugural victory remains the best result from a host nation's national league champions. Teams from Spain have won the tournament eight times, the most for any nation. England has the largest number of winning teams, with four clubs having won the tournament.

In Their Own Story

The air in Abu Dhabi was thick with humidity and anticipation as the final whistle approached. The blue shirts, worn by men who had conquered Europe only months prior, stood firm against a relentless Brazilian attack. In the stands, fans from London to Tokyo held their breath. When Havertz rose above the defense to head home the opener, a roar erupted that transcended borders. It was not just a goal; it was a declaration. The trophy, gleaming under the floodlights, waited for the captain to lift it, sealing a decade-long promise that Chelsea would once again stand alone at the summit of world football.

Reader's Guide

The current format, which came into effect with the 2025 edition, features 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation: 12 teams from Europe, 6 from South America, 4 from Africa, 4 from Asia, 4 from North, Central America and Caribbean, 1 from Oceania, and 1 team from the host nation. All non-host teams qualify through results in their confederation's top club competition. The teams are drawn into eight groups of four, with each team playing three group stage matches in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, starting with the round of 16 and culminating with the final.

Did You Know?

• The first club tournament billed as the Football World Championship was held in 1887, with FA Cup winners Aston Villa beating Scottish Cup winners Hibernian.
• The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy was held in Italy in 1909 and 1911, contested by English, Italian, German and Swiss clubs; English amateur team West Auckland won on both occasions.
• Palmeiras beat Juventus at Maracanã with over 200,000 spectators in attendance at the final of the 1951 Copa Rio, and were hailed as the first ever Club World Champions by the whole Brazilian press.
• Real Madrid won the first Intercontinental Cup in 1960, but FIFA objected to them claiming to be world champions, stating the competition did not grant the right to attempt participation to any other champions from outsi