Considering the growing influence of Clubs in World football, FIFA came up with the idea of Club World Football. The tournament kicked off at the dawn of the century. Due to a combination of reasons, it could not be held in 2001 and 2004.
The current format of the tournament sees the involvement of champion teams from all FIFA federations. These 8 teams compete for glory for about two weeks.
In 2019, Qatar was the host. Liverpool landed as a strong favorite in the Gulf nation. Their first game was the semifinal. Monterrey (Mexico) was up against them. Keita opened the scoring in the 12th minute. 2 minutes later, Funes Mori canceled the advantage. In 85th minute, coach Klopp sends Firminho in place of Origi. Super-sub made a quick impact. Brazilian scored the winner in the first minute of injury time. Thus, Liverpool thrillingly sailed into the final.
Khalifa International Stadium of Capital was the venue for the title clash.
A full house of 45000 rousing fans welcomed Reds against the Flamengo. This was a maiden appearance for both the clubs at this stage. After lackluster full time, the match moved into the extra minutes. In the 99th minute, again, Firminho hit the net. This proved the winner. Liverpool edged out resistance in closing stages and added silverware in their historic year.
This decade’s first tournament held in UAE in 2010. Incidentally, that also witnessed last Italian entry in the annual affair. Inter Milan eased past TP Mazemble of Congo 3-0 in the summit clash. Next year, in the country of ‘Rising Sun,’ Barcelona trounced Santos 4-0. Messi scored twice. Xavi and Fabregas scored the other two for star-studded Catalan side.
In 2012, Guerrero’s 69th effort for Corinthians proved the decider in the only appearance of Chelsea. That was also the last time when any team, not from Europe, lifted this coveted trophy. Next year, in front of passionate fans, Raja Casablanca bragged the rights to play final. In familiar style, Bayern Munich made scoreline 2-0 within the 22nd minute. Raja tried hard, but everything remained the same until the final whistle. It was a heartbreak moment for hosts. Next year at the same venue, Real Madrid tested its first success. San Lorenzo finished runners up. Ramos and Bale hit the target against the Argentine side.
The tournament returned to Japan for the 2014 and 2015 editions. In 14, Barcelona easily crushed dreams of rabid fans of River plate. Suarez scored twice in the game. In the next edition, Real Madrid lifted their second cup in three years. They beat host Kashima Antlers 4-2. At the hour mark, Real made scoreline 2-2. In extra time, Ronaldo completed his hat trick and pierced the hearts of home fans.
UAE was the host of the next two events. Real won both and set record of lifting the cup on 4 occasions. In 2016 they got the better of Gremio by a solitary goal. Ronaldo was the scorer. Next, they were up against host Al Ain. The final was one-sided. Shiotani’s 86th minute was the only consolation in 4-1 loss of Arab club.
With the rising popularity of club soccer, the inclusion of more clubs will lift the profile of this tournament. The format can be made more competitive. In the next decade, we hope to see the best of it.
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