FIFA Club World Cup Winners List

The FIFA Club World Cup was founded back in 2000, with Corinthians of Brazil winning the inaugural title. From 2001 to 2004, the tournament was put on hold due to the collapse of a marketing partnership between FIFA and International Sport and Leisure. Since 2005, though, the competition has been played every year to crown the best club side on the planet.

The current format sees seven teams compete, including the winners of the continental trophies in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania as well as the CONCACAF federation, which represents North, Central America and the Carribean. The national champion from the host nation also earns a spot in the competition. It is a seeded knockout tournament, with the UEFA Champions League winners entering the semi-final stage.

However, the competition will be controversially expanded to 32 teams split into eight groups of four in 2025. Here is an in-depth guide to the history of the global jamboree ahead of the format changes.

Club World Cup Winners List

Premier League teams have dominated in recent years

Since the Club World Cup’s formation in 2000, 12 different teams have won the competition, with Manchester City the most recent winners following their 4-0 triumph against Fluminense in the 2023 final. Only four teams have won the tournament on multiple occasions; Real Madrid, Barcelona, Corinthians and Bayern Munich.

Spanish clubs have won the competition eight times since 2009 – more than any other nation. Brazil has enjoyed success as well, winning the tournament four times and reaching the final on six occasions. In fact, Brazilian teams have played in 10 Club World Cup finals overall, which is one more than teams from Spain. English clubs have dominated the competition in recent times, winning three of the last five iterations.

The first edition of the Club World Cup final was an all-Brazilian affair between Corinthians and Vasco da Gama at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. There were 73,000 fans in attendance to see Corinthians lift the trophy after winning a penalty shootout. Only two European clubs competed in the 2000 tournament, but for the 2025 tournament, 12 teams from across Europe are set to take part from June to July.

Club World Cup Winners List

Year
Winner
Runner-Up

2000
Corinthians
Vasco da Gama

2005
Sao Paulo
Liverpool

2006
Internacional
Barcelona

2007
AC Milan
Boca Juniors

2008
Manchester United
LDU Quito

2009
Barcelona
Estudiantes

2010
Inter Milan
TP Mazembe

2011
Barcelona
Santos

2012
Corinthians
Chelsea

2013
Bayern Munich
Raja Casablanca

2014
Real Madrid
San Lorenzo

2015
Barcelona
River Plate

2016
Real Madrid
Kashima Antlers

2017
Real Madrid
Gremio

2018
Real Madrid
Al-Ain

2019
Liverpool
Flamengo

2020
Bayern Munich
Tigres UANL

2021
Chelsea
Palmeiras

2022
Real Madrid
Al-Hilal

2023
Manchester City
Fluminense

Teams with the Most Club World Cup Titles

Real Madrid in a league of their own

Real Madrid have won the Club World Cup five times. The first of these was in 2014, when they beat San Lorenzo of Argentina in the final, thanks to goals from Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale. From 2016 to 2018, they won the competition every year, beating Kashima Antlers, Gremio and Al Ain in the respective finals. Their most recent triumph came in 2022 when they beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal 5-3 in the final.

Barcelona, Madrid’s fierce rivals, are the second-most successful side in the competition’s history, winning it on three occasions. They beat Estudiantes and Santos in 2009 and 2011, respectively, before their most recent victory against River Plate in 2015. Corinthians and Bayern Munich have won the competition twice and, alongside Madrid, are the only teams to boast a 100% win record in Club World Cup finals.

Most Successful Teams in Club World Cup History

Rank
Team
Nation
Years Won
Titles

1
Real Madrid
Spain
2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
5

2
Barcelona
Spain
2009, 2011, 2015
3

3=
Corinthians
Brazil
2000, 2012
2

Bayern Munich
Germany
2013, 2020

5=
Sao Paulo
Brazil
2005
1

Internacional
Brazil
2006

AC Milan
Italy
2007

Manchester United
England
2008

Inter Milan
Italy
2010

Liverpool
England
2019

Chelsea
England
2021

Manchester City
England
2023

Teams with the Most Club World Cup Final Appearances

Spanish giants have been regular finalists

There are only six teams that have played in multiple Club World Cup finals. This includes Chelsea and Liverpool, who both failed in their first attempt at winning the competition. Rafa Benitez’s side faced Sao Paulo in the 2005 final, which they lost 1-0 thanks to a 27th-minute goal from Mineiro. Seven years later, Chelsea lost their first final in the Club World Cup to Corinthians. Reflecting on the match in 2012, which remains the most recent triumph for a non-European side, Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio said:

“I still get emotional thinking about it. The airport when we were flying out to Japan, it was crazy, unbelievable. Then when we played the whole stadium was black and white. The noise was deafening. There’s no words to describe the support we received.”

Barcelona also lost their first attempt at this tournament. In 2006, they suffered a 1-0 reverse against Internacional, with Adriano Gabiru grabbing a late winner against a team stacked with Andres Iniesta, Deco and Ronaldinho. City will be looking to join this list of clubs with multiple final appearances in the 2025 edition, as well as Inter Milan, who won the competition back in 2010.

Teams with the Most Club World Cup Final Appearances

Rank
Team
Finals

1
Real Madrid
5

2
Barcelona
4

3=
Corinthians
2

Bayern Munich
2

Liverpool
2

Chelsea
2

Players with the Most Club World Cup Titles

Retired Real Madrid icon leads the way

No player has won more Club World Cups than Toni Kroos. The former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid midfielder won six global crowns during his career – five with Madrid and one with Bayern. There are six players with five titles, all of whom were part of the same Real side as Kroos.

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the tournament with two different clubs. The Portuguese icon’s first triumph was back in 2008 for the Red Devils, before winning it four times with Spain’s most successful club. Current and former Madrid players dominate this list due to the club’s overwhelming success in the Club World Cup since its inauguration in 2000.

Most Successful Players in Club World Cup History

Rank
Player
Titles
Club(s)

1
Toni Kroos
6
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid

2=
Dani Carvajal
5
Real Madrid

Karim Benzema
5
Real Madrid

Nacho Fernandez
5
Real Madrid

Luka Modric
5
Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo
5
Manchester United and Real Madrid

Mateo Kovacic
5
Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City

8=
Marcelo
4
Real Madrid

Sergio Ramos
4
Real Madrid

Keylor Navas
4
Real Madrid

Gareth Bale
4
Real Madrid

Isco
4
Real Madrid

Raphael Varane
4
Real Madrid

Marco Asensio
4
Real Madrid

Coaches with Most Club World Cup Titles

European managers have enjoyed the most success

Pep Guardiola has won the most Club World Cup titles as a coach. The Catalan tactician has lifted the trophy four times with three different clubs. The first two of these titles were claimed during his time at Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. Two years later, he won the tournament with Bayern Munich before his latest victory with City in 2023.

Guardiola can boast one more Club World Cup title than Carlo Ancelotti, who has won the competition with AC Milan and Real Madrid. He will be looking to equal the City manager’s tally in 2025, following Madrid’s Champions League victory in 2024, which qualified them for the expanded format. Zinedine Zidane is the only other manager to win the competition on multiple occasions, with consecutive victories at the helm of Madrid in 2016 and 2017.

Most Successful Coaches in Club World Cup History

Rank
Manager
Titles
Club(s)

1
Pep Guardiola
4
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City

2
Carlo Ancelotti
3
AC Milan, Real Madrid

3
Zinedine Zidane
2
Real Madrid

4=
Rafael Benitez
1
Inter Milan

Oswaldo de Oliveira
1
Corinthians

Paulo Autuori
1
Sao Paulo

Abel Braga
1
Internacional

Sir Alex Ferguson
1
Manchester United

Tite
1
Corinthians

Luis Enrique
1
Barcelona

Santiago Solari
1
Real Madrid

Jurgen Klopp
1
Liverpool

Hansi Flick
1
Bayern Munich

Thomas Tuchel
1
Chelsea