The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is an annual football competition organised by FIFA, the global governing body for the sport. First held in 2024, the tournament features the reigning club champions of each of the six FIFA confederations, contested in a knockout format in which the representative from Europe receives a bye to the final.

The tournament concept is closely modelled on the earlier version of the FIFA Club World Cup, which underwent major expansion and restructuring starting with the 2025 edition. Although the Intercontinental Cup confers the honorary title of annual "world champions", it is secondary in prestige and significance to the expanded Club World Cup. Real Madrid are the current holders, having defeated Pachuca 3–0 in the inaugural final held in 2024.

History

On 16 December 2022, the FIFA Council approved the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup from seven to thirty-two teams beginning in 2025. The 2023 tournament was therefore the last played under the previous format. However, FIFA reported that confederations expressed the need for the champions of their top club competitions to still play each other annually to "stimulate competitiveness". Therefore, on 14 March 2023, the FIFA Council approved a concept for an annual club competition beginning in 2024, later named as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. FIFA considers this tournament to be a direct continuation of the FIFA Club World Cup, held from 2000 to 2023.

The similarly named Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004) was a club competition organised by UEFA and CONMEBOL which was usually contested by the champions of the two respective confederations. However, the new FIFA-organised competition features the champions of the top club competitions of the six confederations, namely the AFC Champions League Elite, CAF Champions League, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Copa Libertadores, OFC Professional League and UEFA Champions League, and it retains the world title of the preceding FIFA Club World Cup.

The inaugural edition of the tournament took place from September to December 2024, with the final stages played in Qatar.


The FIFA Intercontinental Cup was a prestigious international football competition held annually from 1960 to 2004, bringing together the champions of different continents to compete for global supremacy. Organized by FIFA, the tournament featured top club teams from Europe and South America, showcasing some of the most exciting and competitive matches in club football history. Known for its high level of talent and intense rivalries, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup served as a precursor to the FIFA Club World Cup, highlighting the best of international club football and fostering global competition among the world's elite teams.