The FIFA Club World Cup is an international association football competition organised by the FIFA, the sport's global governing body. It is the replacement or continuation of the Intercontinental Cup. The championship was first contested as the FIFA Club World Championship in 2000. It was not held between 2001 and 2004 due to a combination of factors, most importantly the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner International Sport and Leisure. Following a change in format which saw the FIFA Club World Championship absorb the Intercontinental Cup, it was relaunched in 2005, and took its current name the season afterwards.
The current format of the tournament, in use since the competition was revamped ahead of 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 Asia, 4 from Africa, 4 from North, Central America and Caribbean, 1 from Oceania, and 1 team from the host nation. 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.
Real Madrid holds the record for most victories, winning the competition five times since its inception. Teams from Spain have won the tournament the most times, with eight wins produced from that nation. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the most successful confederation of the competition, with sixteen titles earned by nine of its clubs.
The current champions are Chelsea, who won their second title following a 3–0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 final, held at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
History
The first final of the competition was an all-Brazilian affair, as well as the only one which saw one side have home advantage. Vasco da Gama could not take advantage of its local support, being beaten by Corinthians 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in extra time. The second edition of the competition was planned for Spain in 2001, and was supposed to feature twelve clubs. However, it was canceled on 18 May, due to a combination of factors, most importantly the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner International Sport and Leisure. FIFA agreed with Toyota to merge the Toyota Cup and Club World Championship into one event.
The 2005 edition saw Brazilian club São Paulo pushed to the limit by Saudi side Al-Ittihad to reach the final. In the final, one goal from Mineiro was enough to dispatch English club Liverpool; Mineiro became the first player to score in a Club World Cup final. Internacional defeated defending world and South American champions São Paulo in the 2006 Copa Libertadores Finals in order to qualify for the 2006 tournament. In the semi-finals, Internacional beat Egyptian side Al Ahly, qualifying for the final against Barcelona from Spain. One late goal from Adriano Gabiru allowed the trophy to be kept in Brazil once again.
It was in 2007 when Brazilian hegemony was finally broken; Italian side Milan disputed a close match against Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds, who were pushed by over 67,000 fans at Yokohama's International Stadium, and won 1–0 to reach the final. In the final, Milan defeated Argentine side Boca Juniors 4–2, in a match that saw the first player to be sent off in a Club World Cup final, Milan's Kakha Kaladze from Georgia, in the 77th minute. Eleven minutes later, Boca Juniors' Pablo Ledesma would join Kaladze as he too was sent off. The following year, Manchester United would emulate Milan by beating their semi-final opponents, Japan's Gamba Osaka, 5–3. They saw off Ecuadorian club LDU Quito 1–0 in the final, as the English side became the second European team to win the tournament.
Barcelona dethroned world and European champions Manchester United in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final to qualify for the 2009 edition of the Club World Cup. Barcelona defeated Mexican club Atlante 3–1 in the semi-finals and met Estudiantes from Argentina in the final. After a very close encounter which saw the need for extra time, Lionel Messi scored from a header to snatch victory for Barcelona and complete an unprecedented sextuple (six trophies in a calendar year). The 2010 edition saw the first non-European and non-South American side to reach the final: Congo's Mazembe defeated Brazil's Internacional 2–0 in the semi-finals to set up a final with Italian Internazionale, who had beaten South Korean club Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 3–0. Internazionale would go on to beat Mazembe by the same scoreline to win their fifth title of the year.
In 2011, Barcelona would once again show its class after winning their semi-final match 4–0 against Qatari club Al-Sadd. In the final, Barcelona would win by the same scoreline against Brazilian side Santos; this is, to date, the largest final winning margin by any victor of the competition. The 2012 edition saw Europe's dominance come to an end, as Corinthians traveled to Japan to join Barcelona in becoming two-time winners of the competition. In the semi-finals, Al Ahly managed to keep the scoreline close as Corinthians' Paolo Guerrero scored to send the Timão into their second final. Guerrero would once again come through for Corinthians in the final as the Timão saw off English side Chelsea 1–0 in order to bring the trophy back to Brazil.
List of finals The International Stadium Yokohama in Japan has played host to the FIFA Club World Cup final the most times, with eight title-deciding matches held. Along with the Estádio do Maracanã, they are the only venues in the world to have hosted both the FIFA World Cup final and the FIFA Club World Cup final (International Stadium Yokohama hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup final while the deciding match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup was disputed at the Maracanã). The 2000 FIFA Club World Championship final remains the highest attended final of the competition, with 73,000 fans attending the all-Brazilian match. The final was also the only one which saw two clubs from the same nation dispute it. The 2021 final had the fewest spectators, with 32,871 (not including the 2020 final, which had restricted seating due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
The 2007 final holds the record for most goals scored in regulation in a Club World Cup final, with six goals scored by five players, while the 2000 final remains the only scoreless decider. The 2011 final became the most lopsided match of the competition, with the triumphant team winning by a difference of four goals, a feat matched by the 2023 final twelve years later. +Key to the tableMatch was won after extra timeMatch was won via a penalty shoot-out
+FinalsSeason ChampionsScore Runners-upFinal venueHost nationAttendanceRef(s)CountryClubClubCountry2000CorinthiansVasco da GamaEstádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro73,0002005São Paulo1–0LiverpoolInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama66,8212006Internacional1–0BarcelonaInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama67,1282007Milan4–2Boca JuniorsInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama68,2632008Manchester United1–0LDU QuitoInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama68,6822009Barcelona2–1EstudiantesZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi43,0502010Internazionale3–0TP MazembeZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi42,1742011Barcelona4–0SantosInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama68,1662012Corinthians1–0ChelseaInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama68,2752013Bayern Munich2–0Raja CasablancaStade de Marrakech, Marrakesh37,7742014Real Madrid2–0San LorenzoStade de Marrakech, Marrakesh38,3452015Barcelona3–0River PlateInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama66,8532016Real Madrid4–2Kashima AntlersInternational Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama68,7422017Real Madrid1–0GrêmioZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi41,0942018Real Madrid4–1Al-AinZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi40,6962019Liverpool1–0FlamengoKhalifa International Stadium, Doha45,4162020Bayern Munich1–0UANLEducation City Stadium, Al Rayyan7,4112021Chelsea2–1PalmeirasMohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi32,8712022Real Madrid5–3Al-HilalPrince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat44,4392023Manchester City4–0FluminenseKing Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah52,6012025Chelsea3–0Paris Saint-GermainMetlife Stadium, East Rutherford81,118 Footnotes
Statistics Results by club
Real Madrid holds the record number of victories in the competition with five. Corinthians remain the only club World Champion to have qualified to the competition by being the host nation's national champion.
+Performance by clubClubTitlesRunners-upYears wonYears runners-up Real Madrid502014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 Barcelona312009, 2011, 20152006 Corinthians202000, 2012 Bayern Munich202013, 2020 Chelsea212021, 20252012 Liverpool1120192005 São Paulo102005 Internacional102006 Milan102007 Manchester United102008 Internazionale102010 Manchester City102023 Vasco da Gama012000 Boca Juniors012007 LDU Quito012008 Estudiantes012009 TP Mazembe012010 Santos012011 Raja Casablanca012013 San Lorenzo012014 River Plate012015 Kashima Antlers012016 Grêmio 012017 Al-Ain 012018 Flamengo 012019 UANL 012020 Palmeiras 012021 Al-Hilal012022 Fluminense012023 Paris Saint-Germain012025
Results by nation Spain's La Liga is the most successful national league of the competition, with eight titles won, England's Premier League are second with five titles and Brazil's Brasileirão are third with four titles. Italy's Serie A and Germany's Bundesliga are fifth with two titles each. Serie A and the Bundesliga were the only undefeated national leagues which have had representatives play in the competition before the first edition with 32 teams in 2025. Argentina's Primera División carries the dubious honour of losing the most finals without ever winning the world title, with four defeats. +Performance by nationNationWinnersRunners-upFinalists8195274610202202044011011011011011011011011
Results by confederation Confederation Titles Runners-up UEFA 17 3 CONMEBOL 4 11 AFC — 3 CAF — 2 CONCACAF — 1
Results by manager
+Performance by managerNationalityManagerWinnerRunner-upYears wonYears runner-up4—2009, 2011, 2013, 20233—2007, 2014, 20222—2016, 20171220102005, 201211201520251—20001—20051—20061—2008Tite1—20121—20181—20191—20201—2021Enzo Maresca1—2025—22008, 2014—12000—12006—12007—12009—12010—12011—12013—12015—12016—12017—12018—12019—12020—12021—12022—12023
See also List of Intercontinental Cup matches FIFA Intercontinental Cup
References
External links