FIFA Intercontinental Cup facts for kids
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| Organising body | FIFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 14 March 2023 |
| Region | International |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Related competitions | FIFA Club World Cup |
| Current champions |  Paris Saint-Germain (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Paris Saint-Germain Real Madrid(1 title each) |
The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is an exciting yearly football tournament. It is organized by FIFA, the main group that manages football around the world. This competition started in 2024. It brings together the best club teams from each of the six main football regions (called confederations) around the globe. Teams play in a knockout style, meaning if you lose, you're out! The team from Europe gets a special pass directly to the final match.
This tournament is similar to the older FIFA Club World Cup. That tournament became much bigger in 2025. The FIFA Intercontinental Cup crowns the best football club in the world each year. Paris Saint-Germain is the current champion. They won against Flamengo in the 2025 final. The score was 1–1 after extra time, and Paris Saint-Germain won 2–1 in a penalty shootout.
Contents
History of the Tournament
Why the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Started
In December 2022, FIFA decided to make the FIFA Club World Cup much bigger. It grew from seven teams to 32 teams starting in 2025. Because of this change, the 2023 tournament was the last one with the old format.
However, football leaders from different regions still wanted their best club teams to play each other every year. They felt this would keep the competition exciting. So, in March 2023, FIFA agreed to create a new yearly club competition. This new tournament, which started in 2024, was named the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. FIFA sees it as a continuation of the Club World Cup that ran from 2000 to 2023.
Old vs. New Intercontinental Cup
There was an older tournament called the Intercontinental Cup (from 1960 to 2004). That competition was only for the champions from Europe and South America.
The new FIFA Intercontinental Cup is different. It includes the champions from the top club competitions of all six football regions. These regions are Asia (AFC), Africa (CAF), North and Central America (CONCACAF), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (OFC), and Europe (UEFA). This new tournament still gives the winner the title of world champion.
The very first FIFA Intercontinental Cup happened from September to December 2024. The final games were played in Qatar.
How the Tournament Works
Game Rules
Teams from all regions except Europe play in special matches. The European team gets to skip these early games and goes straight to the final. If a game is a draw after regular time, they play extra time. If it's still a draw, they have a penalty shootout to decide who wins.
Tournament Rounds Explained
- First Round: A team from Oceania (OFC) plays against a team from either Asia (AFC) or Africa (CAF). This game is called the "FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-off." The match is played in the country of the team that has a higher ranking in FIFA's world list.
- Second Round:
- The other team from Asia or Africa (which had a bye) plays against the winner of the first round. This match is called the "FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup." It is also hosted by a team from a higher-ranked country.
- At the same time, the teams from South America (CONMEBOL) and North/Central America (CONCACAF) play each other. This game, called the "FIFA Derby of the Americas," happens at a neutral place.
- Play-off Round: The winners of the two Second Round matches then play each other. This game is called the "FIFA Challenger Cup" and is also held at a neutral place.
- Final Match: The winner of the Play-off Round faces the European team in the grand final. This final game, called the "FIFA Intercontinental Cup," is played at a neutral venue to decide the world champions.
Tournament Bracket
| Derby of the Americas | Challenger Cup | Intercontinental Cup Final | ||||||||||||||||
| Hosted at neutral venue | Hosted at neutral venue | |||||||||||||||||
| CONMEBOL representative | UEFA representative | |||||||||||||||||
| Hosted at neutral venue | ||||||||||||||||||
| CONCACAF representative | Challenger Cup winner | |||||||||||||||||
| Derby of the Americas winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-off | African–Asian–Pacific Cup | African–Asian–Pacific Cup winner | ||||||||||||||||
| Hosted by higher-ranked team | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hosted by higher-ranked team | AFC or CAF representative | |||||||||||||||||
| AFC or CAF representative | Play-off winner | |||||||||||||||||
| OFC representative | ||||||||||||||||||
Amazing Trophies of the Tournament
The Main FIFA Intercontinental Cup Trophy
The main FIFA Intercontinental Cup trophy looks a lot like the FIFA Club World Cup trophy used from 2005 to 2023. It has a round base with six pillars reaching up. These pillars hold a globe shaped like a football. The trophy is shiny gold. It has a small plate on its base showing the tournament's name and year. This means a new trophy is made for each year's winner! The base of this trophy is taller than the old Club World Cup trophy.
Secondary Trophies for Early Rounds
There are three smaller trophies for the earlier rounds of the tournament. They look like smaller versions of the main trophy. These trophies are mostly silver. They have four pillars holding a globe at the top. Their bases are similar in height to the 2005–2023 Club World Cup trophy. These three trophies are almost identical. The only differences are the name on the plate and a special accent color. The African–Asian–Pacific Cup trophy has red accents. The Derby of the Americas trophy has blue accents. The Challenger Cup trophy has white accents.
The FIFA Champions Badge
The team that wins the FIFA Intercontinental Cup also gets a special FIFA Champions Badge. This badge shows a picture of the trophy. The winning team can proudly wear this badge on their jerseys. They can wear it until the final of the next championship.
Tournament Results and Winners
Who Won the Finals?
Here are the teams that have won the FIFA Intercontinental Cup finals:
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Location | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Club | Club | Country | |||||
| 2024 | Spain |
Real Madrid | 3–0 | Pachuca |  Mexico |
Lusail Stadium | Lusail, Qatar | 67,249 |
| 2025 | France |
Paris Saint-Germain | 1–1 (aet) (2–1 p) |
Flamengo |  Brazil |
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium | Al Rayyan, Qatar | 42,150 |
Winners of Secondary Trophies
Besides the main final, other trophies are given out. These are for the winners of the African–Asian–Pacific Cup, the Derby of the Americas, and the Challenger Cup.
| Year | Challenger Cup | Derby of the Americas | African–Asian–Pacific Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Pachuca |
Pachuca |
 Al Ahly |
| 2025 | Flamengo |
Flamengo |
Pyramids |
Player Awards
Here are the players who received special awards for their performance in the tournament:
| Year | Golden Ball Player of the Tournament |
Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) |
 Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) |
Elías Montiel (Pachuca) |
| 2025 |  Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) |
Not awarded | |
See also
In Spanish: Copa Intercontinental de la FIFA para niños
- List of world champion football clubs
- FIFA Women's Champions Cup
