8 Big Clubs Lost Their Club World Cup Titles in 2025?

FIFA has officially rebranded all previous editions of the Club World Cup as the Intercontinental Cup. This move means that some of the biggest clubs in the world, teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United, can no longer call themselves Club World Cup champions.

Instead, only Chelsea, winners of the new, expanded 32-team version of the tournament in 2025 are now recognized as the true FIFA Club World Cup Champions.

Why Did FIFA Make This Change?

Before 2025, the Club World Cup was a small 8-team event played every December. But FIFA had bigger plans. 

The tournament was overhauled into a massive 32-team competition, held every four years like the regular World Cup. Backed by a $2 billion investment, the 2025 edition reportedly brought in over $4 billion in returns.

With this global relaunch, FIFA decided to draw a clear line between the old format and the new one. The outcome? Past winners have had their status downgraded. They are now officially recorded as FIFA Intercontinental Cup winners, not world champions.

Who are the 8 big clubs affected?

Here are the most prominent names that just lost their “world champion” bragging rights:

• Real Madrid – With five titles under their belt, they were the most successful Club World Cup side. Not anymore.
  
• Barcelona – The Catalan giants had won it three times. Their record is now part of a renamed tournament.
  
• Bayern Munich – The German side had two wins, now reclassified.
  
• Liverpool – Klopp’s 2020 triumph is no longer considered a Club World Cup win.
  
• Manchester United – Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2009 win also loses its original title.
  
• Corinthians – They lifted the trophy twice, including the very first edition.
  
• Inter Milan – Their 2011 win is now under a different name.
  
• Internacional (Brazil) – Their 2007 title also gets the Intercontinental label.
  

What about Chelsea?

Chelsea’s 2022 victory is still technically reclassified, but since they won the newly-expanded 2025 tournament, they become the first official winners of the new FIFA Club World Cup. 

In other words, they’re now the only team that can call themselves world champions by FIFA’s latest standards.