Cole Palmer’s brace and assist on the third goal for new acquisition Joao Pedro helped Chelsea overcome Champions League winners and Club World Cup favorites Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Sunday night.
Although the outcome was unexpected, Chelsea won the game handily and now has the brand-new trophy and a sizable financial award.
Nevertheless, it appears that their success has extended beyond that game, since former Club World Cup champions are now referred to as “FIFA Intercontinental Champions.”
As a result, teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool are no longer world champions.
Prior to taking on its current form, the competition was played annually until 2023. It was initially played in 2000 as the Club World Championship. It then returned in 2005.
The competition was formerly limited to six teams (2020) and eight teams (2000), but this summer it was extended to 32 teams for the first time.
Before Chelsea’s second victory on Sunday, four English teams had won the Club World Cup; however, it now appears that they will be recognized as FIFA Intercontinental Champions.
The Daily Mail now claims that on Sunday night, FIFA posted a social media image of Chelsea raising the trophy with the statement, “The first ever FIFA CWC Champions,” thus confirming the story themselves.
Liverpool won the competition in 2019 and United in 2008, but City won the first one in 2023. It had previously been won by Chelsea in 2021.
Barcelona has won it four times, Chelsea, Corinthians, and Bayern Munich have won it twice, and Real Madrid has won it five times, most recently in 2022.
