A few days ago the FIFA presented the 2024 edition of the Intercontinental Cupwhich will be held with a very similar format to the recent Club World Cup. After explaining the qualification criteria and the rules, the world’s top football body published the competition’s roll of honour; surprisingly, the editions from 2000 to 2004 were eliminated, thus cancelling two victories by Boca (2000 and 2003), one by Bayern (2001), one by Real Madrid (2002) and one by Porto (2004). It is worth remembering that at that time FIFA was in conflict with UEFA, which together with CONMEBOL organised the old Intercontinental. For this reason, in parallel with that trophy, the FIFA Club World Championship was introduced, which in the end was only held in 2000: Corinthians won, and appears in the roll of honour in place of Boca. An affront that is sparking much controversy in Argentina.
Here is what is reported on the official FIFA website: “Since its launch in 2000 as the FIFA Club World Championship, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup has evolved into the world’s leading annual club football tournament, with the winners of the final becoming world champions for the following calendar year.
The first edition of the then FIFA Club World Championship was held in Brazil and featured eight teams from six confederations. The tournament ran alongside the Intercontinental Cup, which had been contested by the champions of CONMEBOL and UEFA since 1960.
In October 2017, the FIFA Council approved a motion recognising as Club World Champions all European and South American teams that won the Intercontinental Cup, played between 1960 and 2004. After a hiatus between 2001 and 2004, during which the competition was not active, it returned in 2005 as the FIFA Club World Cup and continued to grow in scope, importance and reputation, as the elite from every continent competed on the world stage. In 2024, the tournament entered a new phase of evolution with the establishment of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, which gives the winners from each of the six confederations the chance to compete on the world stage each year.
The roll of honor
1960: Real Madrid (ESP)
1961: Peñarol (URU)
1962: Santos (BRA)
1963: Santos (BRA)
1964: Inter (ITA)
1965: Inter (ITA)
1966: Peñarol (URU)
1967: Racing Club (ARG)
1968: Students (ARG)
1969: AC Milan (ITA)
1970: Feyenoord (NED)
1971: National (URU)
1972: Ajax (NED)
1973: Independent (ARG)
1974: Atletico Madrid (ESP)
1975: N/A (match not played: Bayern Munich (GER) v. Independiente (ARG))
1976: Bayern Munich (GER)
1977: Boca Juniors (ARG)
1978: N/A (match not played: Boca Juniors (ARG) v. Liverpool (ENG))
1979: Olympia (PAR)
1980: National (URU)
1981: Flamengo (BRA)
1982: Peñarol (URU)
1983: Gremio (BRA)
1984: Independent (ARG)
1985: Juventus (ITA)
1986: River Plate (ARG)
1987: Port (POR)
1988: National (URU)
1989: AC Milan (ITA)
1990: AC Milan (ITA)
1991: Red Star (YUG)
1992: Sao Paulo (BRA)
1993: Sao Paulo (BRA)
1994: Velez Sarsfield (ARG)
1995: Ajax (NED)
1996: Juventus (ITA)
1997: Borussia Dortmund (GER)
1998: Real Madrid (ESP)
1999: Manchester United (ENG)
2000: Corinthians (BRA)
2001: N/A (competition not played)
2002: N/A (competition not played)
2003: N/A (competition not played)
2004: N/A (competition not played)
2005: Sao Paulo (BRA)
2006: International (BRA)
2007: AC Milan (ITA)
2008: Manchester United (ENG)
2009: Barcelona (ESP)
2010: Inter (ITA)
2011: Barcelona (ESP)
2012: Corinthians (BRA)
2013: Bayern Munich (GER)
2014: Real Madrid (ESP)
2015: Barcelona (ESP)
2016: Real Madrid (ESP)
2017: Real Madrid (ESP)
2018: Real Madrid (ESP)
2019: Liverpool (ENG)
2020: Bayern Munich (GER)
2021: Chelsea (ENG)
2022: Real Madrid (ESP)
2023: Manchester City (ENG)