Premier League trio Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City have been ‘stripped’ of one of their most prestigious titles following a controversial FIFA decision this week. It appears the world football governing body is attempting to rewrite Club World Cup history as part of its ongoing efforts to raise the tournament’s profile.
Among the changes already made to what was once seen as a glorified mid-season friendly by the top European clubs are the expansion of the competition to 32 teams, a stricter qualification process, and the introduction of a lucrative £125 million prize for the winners.
But perhaps the most controversial change of all is FIFA’s decision to disregard all past winners of the tournament and start from scratch. They have now officially declared Chelsea as the ‘first ever’ Club World Cup champions following their emphatic 3-0 win over Champions League holders PSG last Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, according to the Daily Mail.
FIFA Announce Chelsea As ‘First-ever’ World Champions
The organisation have stripped previous winners of their title
Previous winners of the Club World Cup are now labelled by FIFA as “FIFA Intercontinental Champions.” As such, though, the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Real Madrid and Barcelona are no longer considered world champions.
The competition was first played in 2000 as the Club World Championship, before returning in 2005, and was played annually until 2023, before adopting its current form. FIFA appeared to confirm the news themselves on Sunday night, as they shared a social media photo of Chelsea lifting the trophy with the caption:
“The first ever FIFA CWC Champions.”
While City won the original competition in 2023, Liverpool lifted it in 2019 and United in 2008. Chelsea had also won it previously in 2021. Real Madrid won it the most times with five – most recently in 2022 – while Barcelona won it four times, and Chelsea, Corinthians, and Bayern Munich twice.
A change in trophy appears to have brought with it an official change in who can claim to have won the Club World Cup. However, the previous editions haven’t been completely erased – suggesting a revamp similar to the 1992 transformation of the old European Cup into what we now know as the Champions League.