-
FIFA Declares Chelsea First-Ever Official Club World Cup Winners in Landmark Ruling
In a game-changing decision that rewrites football history, FIFA has officially recognised Chelsea FC as the inaugural winners of the restructured and now fully FIFA-sanctioned Club World Cup, following their dominant 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 final.
The announcement, which forms part of FIFA’s wider effort to revamp the competition’s legacy structure, also clarifies the status of former winners of the Intercontinental Cup, a tournament jointly organised by UEFA and CONMEBOL from 1960 to 2004.
According to FIFA’s new directive, those past champions will now be formally addressed as “Intercontinental Champions,” no longer as world champions under FIFA’s umbrella.
This adjustment signals a significant shift in how global club supremacy is defined, clearly separating UEFA-CONMEBOL’s two-continent showdown from the modern, inclusive FIFA tournament that brings together club champions from all continents.
View this post on Instagram
Why the Sudden Shift?
FIFA’s restructuring is part of its long-term strategy to reflect the evolving dynamics of international football. While the Intercontinental Cup was once held in high regard, FIFA emphasized that it “was never officially organized by FIFA” and only featured representatives from Europe and South America, leaving out clubs from Africa, Asia, North America, and Oceania.
With FIFA now expanding the tournament’s reach and ensuring full global participation, the 2025 edition, won convincingly by Chelsea, has been positioned as the true beginning of the Club World Cup’s official legacy.
Clubs such as Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, AC Milan, and others that triumphed in the Intercontinental Cup will retain their historical prestige, but their titles have now been reclassified. Instead of being counted as Club World Cup titles, they will be recognised as “Intercontinental Champions,” preserving their achievements while drawing a distinct line between eras.
View this post on Instagram
Chelsea’s Historic Place in Football History
By defeating PSG with authority in this year’s final, Chelsea has now been enshrined as the first officially recognized FIFA Club World Cup winners under the new structure.
The win not only secured another prestigious trophy for the London club but also etched their name as the standard-bearers of a new era in global club football.
As FIFA prepares for an even larger and more competitive format in the future, this bold move redefines the benchmark for club greatness on the world stage, with Chelsea’s 2025 triumph as the starting point.
View this post on Instagram