The FIFA Club World Cup sees every year the crème de la crème of every continent fight for the crown of the world.
With such a wide range of teams from all over the world entering the competition each year, the list of winners is certainly diverse. And by diversified we mean European and Brazilian.
Here, 90 mins introduces you to all the CWC winners since the competition was created in 2000.
Liverpool of Jurgen Klopp was crowned world champion before being crowned champion of England. They took the winning Roberto Firmino time out to get past Monterrey in the semi-finals, and were taken to overtime by Flamengo in the final.
Firmino was the man with the late winner again as Klopp’s Liverpool succeeded where Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool in 2005 failed and were crowned Club World Cup champions for the first time.
Real Madrid’s extraordinary Champions League record between 2014 and 2018 saw them go wild in the Club World Cup – they are the most decorated team in the history of the competition.
Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale saw them overtake San Lorenzo in 2014, and they needed extra time and a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo to defeat Kashima Antlers – the first Asian team to reach the Club World Cup final – in 2016.
Ronaldo proved the difference again in 2017, scoring the only goal in the final against Gremio, before UEA side Al Ain FC were comfortably beaten 4-1 the following year. Real remain the only team to have defended the Club World Cup.
Barcelona are three-time club world champions – twice under Pep Guardiola and once under Luis Enrique.
The Catalan giants needed an equalizer from Pedro in the 89th minute plus extra time to beat Estudiantes 2-1 in 2009, but they were comfortable 4-0 against Santos de Neymar in 2011 – Lionel Messi scoring a brace – and 3 -0 winners against River Plate in 2015 – Luis Suarez does a splint. Barcelona’s triumph in 2009 was their sixth trophy of the calendar year.
Jupp Heynckes guided Bayern Munich to 2012/13 Champions League glory, but it was Pep Guardiola at the helm for their Club World Cup triumph.
Bayern defeated Moroccan side Raja Club Athletic – only the second African team in the history of the competition to reach the final – to lift the trophy, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Dante and Thiago Alcantara.
The Corinthians became the first Brazilian team in six years to win the Club World Cup by overtaking Chelsea in the 2012 final. It was their second triumph in the competition, having also won the trophy in 2000. .
Finalist beaten with Liverpool seven years earlier, Rafael Benitez – who occupied the Blues seat after replacing Champions League-winning coach Roberto Di Matteo – was once again on the losing side. His side suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Corinthians thanks to Paolo Guerrero’s goal in the second half.
Although Jose Mourinho – the man who guided Inter to Champions League glory the previous season – is no longer at the helm, the Serie A side have become the second Italian side to win the UEFA Cup. club world with a comfortable victory over the Congolese side of TP Mazembe.
TP Mazembe made history by becoming the very first African team to reach the final of the competition with a shock victory over Internacional in the semi-final. The team was mostly made up of Congolese nationals and they were beaten 3-0 in the final thanks to goals from Goran Pandev, Samuel Eto’o and Jonathan Biabiany.
Manchester United won in a breathless 5-3 semi-final against Japanese club Gamba Osaka, before playing a 1-0 victory over Ecuadorian La Liga Quito in the final.
United were forced to play much of the second half with 10 men following the sacking of Nemanja Vidic but came out victorious thanks to a Wayne Rooney goal with 17 minutes remaining.
The fabulous Milan side of the 2000s became the first European team to lift the Club World Cup with an entertaining and Kaka-inspired 4-2 victory over Boca Juniors.
Filippo Inzaghi grabbed a brace and Alessandro Nesta and Kaka were also on the scoresheet, with the Brazilian midfielder named player of the tournament.
Brazilian side Internacional won their first and so far only Club World Cup title in 2006 with a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the final.
They were a star-studded Barcelona side – including Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, but they were beaten by a strike in the 82nd minute from Adriano Gabiru. A teenager Alexandre Pato was also lining up for Internacional.
Sao Paulo is one of three Brazilian teams to have won the Club World Cup, lifting the trophy for the first and only time in Japan in 2005.
Goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni was the hero, scoring the winner from the penalty spot in Sao Paulo’s 3-2 semi-final win over Saudi side Al-Ittihad, before becoming a player of the match in the 1- win. 0 of his team on Liverpool in the end.
The Reds hit the woodwork several times and saw three goals denied in the final. Didi Hamman then spent the night in a Japanese police cell after attempts to drown his sentences with Jamie Carragher that evening turned sour.
