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

Inside the pitch, Liverpool players stood frozen as the referee signaled for extra time; the scoreboard read 1-1. Gabriel Barbosa had silenced the early hopes with his equalizer, and now the weight of history pressed down on every step toward the center circle. Then, the moment arrived. A loose ball tumbled to Roberto Firmino just outside the box. He didn't hesitate. One touch to set it, another to drive it low and hard into the bottom corner. The net rippled instantly. The roar from the traveling support shattered the tense silence that followed. In that split second, the gap between 'European Champions' and 'World Champions' vanished. As teammates swarmed Firmino in a red tide of ecstasy, the realization washed over the Anfield faithful watching at home: they were now the undisputed kings of the world.

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, held in Italy in 1909 and 1911, was the first attempt at a global club football tournament according to FIFA.
• Palmeiras beat Juventus at Maracanã with over 200,000 spectators in the 1951 Copa Rio final 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 world champions, stating the competition did not grant participation rights to champions from outside Europe and South America.