The FIFA Club World Cup is an international association football competition organised by the FIFA, the sport's global governing body.[1] The championship was first contested as the FIFA Club World Championship in 2000.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]
The current format, 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.[1]
Debut of club teams
Each successive FIFA Club World Cup has had at least one club team appearing for the first time.
The J.League, Japan's premier club competition, has been Asia's best representative, with one silver medal and three bronze medals earned.
South Korea's K League has been Asia's second most constant representatives after the J. League, with four different clubs playing in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Corinthians are the only South American club to have appeared in more than one final and also to have won the competition more than once (2000 and 2012 editions). The Timão are also the only eventual winners to have qualified by virtue of being the host nation's national champions.
Ecuador's LDU Quito was the first non-Argentine and non-Brazilian club to represent CONMEBOL during the FIFA Club World Cup.
Spain's Real Madrid holds the all-time record of appearances as UEFA's representative with seven, and are the record title-holders of the tournament, with five (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022). Real Madrid also holds the record of most appearances in the final, with five, followed by Spanish rivals Barcelona with four.
Italy's Serie A is the only national league with multiple representatives that remain undefeated, with Milan and Internazionale both winning the FIFA Club World Cup in their sole appearances.
List of participating clubs of the FIFA Club World Cup
The following is a list of clubs that have played in or qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup. Editions in bold indicate competitions won. Rows can be adjusted to national league, total number of participations by national league or club and years played. Auckland City have contested the FIFA Club World Cup twelve times, more than any other club.
^ abcdefThe Fifth place match was not played for this tournament, so the two teams which lost before the semi-finals were considered to share Fifth place.
^Auckland City withdrew from the 2020 tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities.[39]