Kings of the World
by Andy Wray

The FIFA Club World Cup is now being held in Tokyo, Japan to decide which football club is currently the best in the world. The tournament began on 12 December and will conclude on 21 December with the final in Yokohama and has extra global appeal this year because of the inclusion of the world’s biggest football club, Manchester United.

The first tournament

The first tournament was held in Brazil in January 2000 and was called the FIFA Club World Championship. Eight teams played in the tournament and were split into two groups. Group A was played in Sao Paulo and included the home team, Corinthians, the mighty Real Madrid from Spain, Al Nassr from Saudi Arabia and Raja Casablanca from Morocco. Group B was played in Rio de Janeiro and featured Manchester United, Vasco da Gama from Brazil, Necaxa from Mexico and the Australian club, South Melbourne.

The two Brazilian teams were group winners and so they contested the final in the famous Maracana Stadium, much to the delight of the home fans, but sadly they played out a dull 0-0 draw and the trophy was decided on a penalty shoot-out with Corinthians triumphing 4-3 over Vasco da Gama.

The second event was scheduled for Spain in 2001 with twelve teams involved but was postponed, originally until 2003, following the collapse of FIFA’s marketing partner, ISL, as well as international fixture congestion and international economic difficulties. However, it was another four years before a further tournament could be organized.

Rebirth

And so, in December 2005, the tournament was played once more but this time it found a new permanent home in Japan. This time only six teams were invited; the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League winners, Liverpool representing Europe; the 2005 Copa Libertadores winners Sao Paulo, representing South America; the 2005 AFC Champions League winners, Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia, representing Asia; the 2005 CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly from Egypt, representing Africa; the 2005 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica, representing North and Central America and 2004-05 OFC Club Champions, Sydney FC from Australia, representing Oceania.

A knockout format was used, with Al Ittihad defeating Al Ahly 1-0 and Deportivo Saprissa beating Sydney 1-0 in the quarter-finals. Then, in the semi-finals, Sao Paulo defeated Al Ittihad 3-2, while Liverpool strolled past Deportivo Saprissa 3-0. Again, a Brazilian team was victorious as Sao Paulo narrowly defeated the English club Liverpool 1-0 in the final at the International Stadium in Yokohama, with a goal from Mineiro.

A year later, the tournament was renamed the FIFA Club World Cup and was held once more in Japan with the same format involving six teams from each of the six continental confederations. The Egyptian club, Al Ahly, defeated New Zealand’s Auckland City 2-0 and Club America from Mexico beat the South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

In the semi-finals, Brazil’s Internacional, beat Al Ahly 2-1 and the Spanish club, Barcelona hammered Club America 4-0 to reach the final. However, again another Brazilian team was triumphant as Internacional edged past the Barcelona 1-0, thanks to a late goal by Adriano Souza.

European glory

Last year, seven teams appeared in the tournament and an elongated knockout format was used. The Iranian team Sepahan beat New Zealand’s Waitakere United 3-1 in the opening round and then lost 1-3 to the Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds in the quarter-finals, while the Tunisian club, Etoile du Sahel defeated the Mexican club Pachuca 1-0 in the other quarter-final.

The mighty Boca Juniors from Argentina then overcame Etoile du Sahel 1-0 and AC Milan beat Urawa Red Diamonds 1-0 in the semi-finals. And finally, there was a final for the fans to savour, as a European club won the tournament for the first time and the global television audience of millions saw a feast of goals, with Italy’s AC Milan beating Boca Juniors 4-2.

Manchester United, as champions of Europe after winning the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, will represent Europe and will be the star attraction at this year’s tournament. Also appearing will be the surprise winners of the 2008 Copa Libertadores, LDU Quito from Ecuador; the Mexican club, Pachuca; Waitakere United from New Zealand; Al Ahly from Egypt; Adelaide United from Australia and Gamba Osaka from Japan.

Questions

Understanding the story

1. Which tournament is the story about?
2. What was the tornament’s previous name?
3. When and where was the first tournament held?
4. How many tournaments have been held before this year?
5. Where is this year’s tournament being held?

Find the information

1. Which clubs have won the tournament?
2. In which years was the tournament held?
3. Where was the tournament going to be held in 2001?
4. Which English clubs have played in the tournament?
5. How many clubs are playing in this year’s tournament?

Continents

What continents do these tournaments represent?

1. UEFA Champions League?
2. Copa Libertadores?
3. CAF Champions League?
4. AFC Champions League?
5. CONCACAF Champions Cup?
6. OFC Club Championship?

What do you think?

Which club will win this year’s FIFA Club World Cup?

Answers

Understanding the story

1. The FIFA Club World Cup
2. The FIFA Club World Championship
3. January 2000 in Brazil
4. Four
5. Japan

Find the information

1. Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Internacional and AC Milan
2. 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2007
3. Spain
4. Liverpool and Manchester United
5. Seven

Continents

1. Europe
2. South America
3. Africa
4. Asia
5. North and Central America
6. Oceania

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Club_World_Cup (retrieved 20 October, 2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_FIFA_Club_World_Championship
(retrieved 28 October, 2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_FIFA_Club_World_Championship
(retrieved 28 October, 2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_FIFA_Club_World_Championship
(retrieved 28 October, 2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_Club_World_Cup
(retrieved 28 October, 2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_FIFA_Club_World_Cup
(retrieved 28 October, 2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_FIFA_Club_World_Cup
(retrieved 18 November, 2008)