In this century, it became of great complexity to understand the world champions gallery of clubs.
Born in 1973, I grew up with certainty, because it was released that the best team on the planet, crowned world champion, came from the duel between the European champion (from the European Cup, former name of Champions League) and South American (from Libertadores).
From 1960 to 1979, this confrontation was decided at better two or three matches, with at least one in Europe and one in South America. Santos de Pelé won in 1962 and 1963. From 1980 onwards (until 2004), sponsored by an assembler (Toyota), took place in Japan.
The Intercontinental Cup was called the Interclub World Cup, which we watched at the Brazilian dawn. There was triumphs from Flamengo de Zico (1981), from the Renato Gaúcho Grêmio (1981), from São Paulo de Telê Santana (1992 and 1993).
But in reality, in the world there was nothing, because without the presence of Africa, Asia, the Americas of the North and Central, Oceania.
In 2000, FIFA entered the circuit. He held in Brazil (Sao Paulo and Rio) his first Club World Cup, with eight teams from six confederations.
Manchester United and Real Madrid participated, and the champion, on penalties against Vasco after a 0-0 in Maracanã, was Corinthians.
The biggest controversy of this competition was due to the non-inclusion of Palmeiras, champion of the 1999 Libertadores. They played Vasco, Libertadores champion of 1998, and Corinthians, bicard-champion (1998/1999).
FIFA failed ugly by not establishing clear technical criteria in the choice of participants, which makes this world target constantly criticized.
In Brazil, not Corinthians and non -Vascaínos qualify him as a “Band Summer Tournament”, in reference to the broadcaster that showed it – that showed the country’s main TV World Cup, Globo.
There was a hiatus of a few years, and from 2005 FIFA began to promote annually, in Asia or Africa, the Club World Cup, with the continental champions (six) plus a host country representative. Of the Brazilians, they won São Paulo (2005), Internacional (2006) and Corinthians (2012).
The Intercontinental Cup (the one that began in 1960) has extinguished in 2004. Since then, the question was: Who won the world call interclubes could not be officially considered world champion? In 2017, FIFA said yes.
And the Rio Cup, held in Brazil in 1951 (Palmeiras Champion) and in 1952 (Fluminense Champion), with European and South American clubs, has World Cup status, officially? Not currently, according to FIFA, which fostered discussions and disputes on this.
And everything walked intelligible and credible until the creation of the 2025 World Cup, which ended this month in the United States – the first swollen, with 32 teams, including Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Palmeiras – with Chelsea champion.
FIFA called him a club World Cup. Sectors of the media decided by World Cup or supermundial. The World Cup that existed until then (every year, with seven teams) became, for FIFA, Club World Cup. This until 2023. From 2024, it became Intercontinental Cup, equal to the Intercontinental Cup from 1960 to 2024.
Is it easy to understand? No, right? So it is. And only gets worse.
The Club World Cup (with 32 teams) will take place every four years. Whenever it occurs, as the Intercontinental Cup will continue to be played annually (2025, with six teams, will have two games in September and three in December), the year will end with two world champions, the mid -year and the end of the year.
It will not be new, it has occurred in 2000, with Corinthians (FIFA World Cup) and Boca Juniors (Intercontinental Cup).
The biggest question is the importance of each achievement. I asked three times in writing, on the channel FIFA offers to journalists about it. There was no answer.
As far as it is known so far, she will consider world champion, with the same weight, both Chelsea and the Intercontinental winner-which will have French Paris Saint-Germain, current champion of Champions League.
Thus, if PSG, already guaranteed in the decision, win, even though he was Chelsea’s deputy at the US World Cup, it will be, playing once, such a world champion as the English club, which played seven times.
He can? He can. But it’s very strange. Complicated to understand and accept.
If there is a minimum of wisdom in FIFA, it is essential that the Quadrennial World Cup will be renamed for Supermundial. The champion will be called a super -champion, a well -deserved and suitable status.
This will give the championship the proper value (as it is much higher than everything that has existed to this day) and will resolve, or at least soften, the imbroglio.
