FIFA Club World Champions: Complete Ranking of the Clubs That Have Conquered the World!

Only a few days remain until the FIFA Club World Cup, which will bring together 32 teams to determine who will sit on the throne of world football for the next four years. Since the first edition of the Intercontinental Cup in 1960, a total of 31 teams from eleven countries have earned the right to call themselves FIFA Club World Champions.

And for those already eager to see the planet’s top clubs face off in thrilling matches in the United States, we’ve prepared this special feature covering all the teams that have ever been world champions.

We know there’s some controversy regarding competitions not directly organized by FIFA, as the sport’s governing body only officially began doing so in 2000 — with past champions still seeking recognition for tournaments like the Intercontinental Cup and the Copa Rio as world titles.

This article will only cover clubs that won the FIFA Club World Cup, including the unification with the Intercontinental Cup (also known as the European/South American Cup) that was officially recognized by FIFA in 2017.

And yes, titles not included on this list also carry historical importance and value for the clubs and their fans. Still, we’ll only list competitions organized by FIFA and whose winners are officially recognized as Club World Champions by the federation.

Which Clubs Have Won the Most FIFA Club World Championships?

Whether organized by FIFA or officially recognized in the 2017 unification, the list of clubs that have won the world title is extensive — and several spots in the ranking are shared among tied teams. Here’s the full list:

5. One Title: 15 Clubs

You read that right: 15 clubs are tied with one FIFA Club World Championship each.

Argentina has four world champion clubs, although all titles came from the Intercontinental Cup. Racing defeated Celtic in 1967, and Estudiantes beat Manchester United in 1968. River Plate overcame Steaua Bucuresti in 1986, and Vélez Sarsfield shocked Milan in 1994.

Next are three Brazilian clubs: Zico’s Flamengo beat Liverpool in 1981, and Renato Portaluppi’s Grêmio defeated Hamburg in 1983. Internacional triumphed over Ronaldinho’s Barcelona in 2006.

England also has three clubs with one title each. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool got revenge against Flamengo in 2019, and Chelsea beat Palmeiras in the 2021 edition. To top it off, Guardiola’s Manchester City crushed Fluminense 4–0 in 2023.

4. Two Titles: Seven Clubs

Seven clubs are tied with two world titles: Corinthians, Santos, Independiente, Ajax, Juventus, Manchester United, and Porto — the only one with a chance to increase their tally at the upcoming 2025 Super Club World Cup.

Pelé’s Santos won back-to-back titles in 1962 and 1963, beating Eusébio’s Benfica and Carniglia’s Milan. Their archrival Corinthians won the first official FIFA Club World Cup in 2000 against Vasco da Gama and beat Chelsea 1–0 in 2012 — the last South American club to win the title.

The Libertadores’ most decorated club, Independiente, lifted the trophy in 1973 and 1984, defeating Juventus and Liverpool. The Italian side became world champion for the first time in 1985 by defeating Argentinos Juniors and added a second in 1996 by beating River Plate.

Historic Dutch club Ajax defeated Independiente in 1972 and Grêmio in 1995 — in a close match that ended 1–1, with the Dutch winning 4–3 on penalties. Manchester United is England’s most successful club globally, having defeated Palmeiras in 1999 and LDU Quito in 2008 — both by a 1–0 scoreline.

3. Three Titles: Six Clubs

Six clubs are tied with three FIFA Club World Championship titles — two from Europe and four from South America.

Peñarol defeated Benfica with a 7–1 aggregate score across three matches in 1961, pulled off the feat of beating Real Madrid in the 1966 final (getting “revenge” for the 1960 loss), and last sat on the throne in 1982 by defeating Aston Villa 2–0 in Tokyo.

Their biggest rivals also claimed the world title three times: beating Panathinaikos 3–2 on aggregate in 1971, Nottingham Forest 1–0 in 1980, and PSV in 1988 — drawing 2–2 and winning the penalty shootout 7–6.

Boca Juniors defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1977, Real Madrid in 2000, and Milan in 2003 — needing penalties after a 1–1 draw in regulation time. São Paulo won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993 against Barcelona and Milan under coach Telê Santana, and claimed a legendary 1–0 win over Liverpool in 2005, led by a heroic performance from goalkeeper Rogério Ceni.

Among the Europeans, Inter Milan won the Intercontinental Cup twice in 1964 and 1965 by defeating Independiente on both occasions, and lifted the Club World Cup in 2010 by beating Mazembe — the first final without a South American team. Barcelona, with Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi, beat Estudiantes and Santos in 2009 and 2011, with the Argentine icon also playing in the 2015 title win over River Plate.

2. Four Titles: Milan and Bayern Munich

Though not currently at the top of world football, Milan remains the second-most successful FIFA world champion with four titles. The Rossoneri of Rivera and Sormani defeated Estudiantes 4–2 on aggregate in 1969 — a series remembered for its tension and drama.

It took two decades for Milan to return to the top, which happened in back-to-back years. With legendary names like Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, and Paolo Maldini, Milan beat Atlético Nacional 1–0 in 1989 and Olimpia 3–0 in 1990.

Milan's most recent world title came in 2007 at the FIFA Club World Cup. After getting revenge on Liverpool in the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti's side thrashed Boca Juniors 4–2 in the final, with standout performances from Seedorf, Kaká, and Pirlo.

Bayern Munich is tied with four trophies as well, starting with the 1976 Intercontinental Cup, where they beat Cruzeiro 2–0 on aggregate, led by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.

In 2001, the Germans beat Boca Juniors 1–0 in the Intercontinental Cup, with Oliver Kahn and Claudio Pizarro on the roster. They won their first FIFA Club World Cup title in 2013 under Pep Guardiola, beating Raja Casablanca 2–0, and took the trophy again in 2020 under Hansi Flick with a 1–0 win over Tigres.

1. Nine Titles: Real Madrid

Real Madrid is the most decorated football club in the world with a total of 137 titles — though, surprisingly, it doesn’t have the most trophies overall, trailing Egypt’s Al-Ahly, who boast 144. However, in terms of prestige and global weight, Los Merengues can be considered the most successful club on the planet, leading the FIFA Club World Championship rankings with nine titles.

In 1960, the team of Di Stéfano and Puskás won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup by beating Peñarol 5–1. After a 38-year drought, Raúl scored the winner in the 1998 final against Vasco da Gama. They won it again in 2002, with stars like Casillas and Ronaldo Nazário.

Following their long-awaited "La Décima" Champions League win, Madrid claimed the Club World Cup in 2014, 2016, and 2017 with Cristiano Ronaldo — though he didn’t feature in the 2018 win. The team went on to win the title again in 2022 and 2024, this time led by Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior.

Which Countries Have Won the Most FIFA Club World Cups?

If we count all the titles above by country, Spain leads the way as the nation with the most FIFA Club World Cup wins. Spanish teams have lifted the trophy 13 times — nine by Real Madrid, three by Barcelona, and one by Atlético de Madrid.

Next is Brazil, with ten titles, mostly thanks to clubs from São Paulo: São Paulo FC leads with three, followed by Corinthians and Santos with two each. Internacional, Grêmio, and Flamengo have one title apiece.

Two countries are tied for third place with nine world titles each. Argentina has three from Boca Juniors, two from Independiente, and one each from Racing, Estudiantes, Vélez Sarsfield, and River Plate — all from the Intercontinental Cup era. Italy’s tally comes from three clubs: Milan with four titles, Inter Milan with three, and Juventus with two.

Uruguay follows with six titles, despite having only two representatives. Peñarol and Nacional each have three world championships.

Two traditional footballing nations are tied with five titles each. Bayern Munich dominates Germany’s total with four wins, while Borussia Dortmund has one. England matches that total, with Manchester United winning two, and Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City one each.

The Netherlands has three titles, with Ajax claiming two and Feyenoord winning once. Portugal follows with two titles, both from Porto. Rounding out the ranking are Paraguay and Serbia (then Yugoslavia), represented by one trophy each from Olimpia and Red Star Belgrade.

Which Continent Has More FIFA Club World Cups: South America or Europe?

Only two continents have had clubs win the FIFA Club World Cup: South America and Europe. And if you’re wondering who leads, the answer is UEFA, with 38 titles compared to CONMEBOL’s 26.

However, the rivalry was once much closer. When Corinthians returned from Japan with South America’s last world title in 2012, the continent tied with Europe at the top — for one year, until Bayern Munich kicked off UEFA’s ongoing 12-year dominance of the Club World Cup.

In fact, South America held the advantage when Internacional won in 2006, bringing Brazil its second consecutive title. At that point, CONMEBOL had 25 titles versus UEFA’s 21 — including five straight wins by South American clubs.

The continent’s most dominant streak came between 1977 and 1984, with seven straight champions: Boca Juniors, Olimpia, Nacional (Uruguay), Flamengo, Peñarol, Grêmio, and Independiente — though the 1978 Intercontinental Cup between Liverpool and Boca Juniors was canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

When Juventus beat Argentinos Juniors in 1985, South America was still clearly dominant in world titles: 19 to Europe’s 9.

Has Any Other Continent Won the FIFA Club World Cup?

Only in 2000 did clubs from other continents begin competing for the title — though a major technical and financial gap separated them from South America and Europe (a gap that’s slowly shrinking).

All seven finals featuring clubs from the “rest of the world” came after CONMEBOL teams were upset by underdogs. Five Brazilian clubs were eliminated: Internacional lost to Mazembe, Atlético Mineiro to Raja Casablanca, Palmeiras to Tigres, Flamengo to Al-Hilal, and Botafogo was knocked out by Pachuca.

River Plate was the only Argentine club to fall to a non-European team, losing to Al-Ain. Meanwhile, Atlético Nacional was beaten by Kashima Antlers — completing the list of seven CONMEBOL eliminations, almost all in the FIFA Club World Cup (except Botafogo’s, which occurred in the current FIFA Intercontinental Cup format).

Among the “rest of the world,” Asia leads with three finalist appearances. Africa and North America follow, each with two trips to the final.

Bet on the FIFA Club World Cup at Blaze!

Will the list of FIFA Club World Champions grow with the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup? Nineteen clubs are still chasing their first title, and 13 countries have a shot at joining the exclusive group of nations with a world champion.

Whether you’re supporting one of the teams (or rooting against one — after all, rivalry is part of football), one thing is certain: responsibility matters more than superstition. Make sure you understand all the risks involved, every market and betting type you choose, and of course, the data, stats, and tournament rules.

Betting is not an investment or a source of income — it’s just something to make the experience more thrilling. That’s why it’s important to follow the principles of Responsible Gambling!

Deal? Bet on the FIFA Club World Cup at Blaze and get ready for kickoff!