Club World Cup Players

The FIFA Club World Cup began in the 2000s as the FIFA Club World Championship, which was touted as a clash of league-winning titans from around the world to determine the best of the lot. It, however, went on a sabbatical immediately after its inaugural season due to a combination of factors, which were majorly influenced by the collapse of FIFA's marketing partnership with International Sport and Leisure (ISL). After this, it was reinstated in 2005, following which it was continued as an annual competition until 2023.

This included a series of changes in the original construction of the idea, including its merger with the Intercontinental Cup to form the FIFA Club World Cup in 2006. The winner of the competition is rewarded with the Club World Cup trophy, as well as a FIFA World Champions certificate, reinstating that the club represents football's absolute best. There have, however, been several subsequent changes in the format for the tournament, making it more engaging by the adoption of a Champions League-style format.

List of Best FIFA Club World Cup Players of All Time

FIFA Club World Cup's claim to house only the matchups of the best clubs throughout the season makes it necessary for them to be a playground for some of the most appreciated footballing talent. Over the years, there have been many questions regarding the purposefulness of the competition and whether it delivers on its promise of top-quality football competition.

However, the overall appreciation of the idea of an interleague tournament has led to its development into a more comprehensive tournament, tailored to provide more even competition, which was previously hindered due to the handicaps faced by certain leagues. The tournament's criteria for hosting only the League's top performers allow star players of varied profiles but similar fanbase prominence in their respective leagues to indulge in a scrumptious battle.

The Club World Cup has been claimed by many greats since its inauguration in 2000. Real Madrid has won the tournament the maximum number of times, with five Club World Cup trophies in six appearances, leading their rivals, Barcelona, who have won the competition 3 times. Thus, the most decorated players in the tournament's history are concentrated around the Spanish giants, with the likes of Benzema, Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo (4 with Real Madrid, 1 with Manchester United), Modric, etc., having won the tournament 5 times. Matteo Kovacic is the only player to have won 4 Club World Cups along with 3 different teams, i.e., Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.

The most dominant FIFA Club World Cup players are those who have performed remarkably in the short-format tournament, utilizing their brilliance to counter the lack of established structures and tactics. Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer in the tournament, with his 7-goal haul. He can be regarded as one of the best Club World Cup players, followed closely by his teammates, with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema both recording six goals in the competition. The important performances by Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale resulted in one Golden Ball each, in 2016 and 2018, respectively, marking them as the Best Player in the tournament.

Lionel Messi was only able to participate in the Club World Cup thrice, whose selection he maximized by winning all three renditions and earning the Golden Ball for his first two campaigns, as his 6 goals helped Barcelona in the trophy's realization. He was closely aided by his friend and teammate, Luiz Suarez, whose goal-scoring heroics have led him to be inducted into the best FIFA Club World Cup players Hall of Fame. The most famous one out of it could be considered Ramos's two-goal campaign in the Club World Cup, which made him the top scorer while also marking a Real Madrid Club trophy.

Eligibility Criteria to Play in Club World Cup

The Club World Cup represents an exclusive selection of top teams across Europe, coming together to play in a Champions League-type format to decide the ultimate king of World football. The competition is played in the period between June and July after the completion of the regular season. The global event will bring together the most successful club sides from each of the six international confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA. The FIFA Council approved the allocation of places to each confederation for its expanded Club World Cup. Europe and South America share the maximum spots between them, due to their historical dominance and subsequent prominence in the footballing world. Africa, Asia, and North America receive four teams apiece, with one entrant from Oceania along with a guaranteed representative of the host nation.

Thus, the allocation of the slots to teams was done based on the following blueprint: UEFA (12 slots), CONMEBOL (6 slots), AFC (4 slots), CAF (4 slots), CONCACAF (4 slots), OFC (1 slot), and the Host team. Manchester City are currently the defending champions of the title, having won the Club World Cup in 2023, in the tournament played amongst the 6 confederation champions and the host team of Al Ittihad.

Through the above criteria, the teams are observed for a period of the past 4 years, i.e., from 2021 to 2024, which is required to shortlist other teams except for continental champions in each of these seasons, who are guaranteed a spot at the tournament. After the winners of the confederations occupy their rightful slots with the top Club World Cup players squad, the remaining slots are allocated based on club rankings related to performances in continental competitions

Club rankings were calculated by awarding teams three points for a win, one for a draw, and three for successfully progressing to the next stage of the competition. UEFA, with its already established club coefficient system, is slightly different in terms of its selection. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid (two) have Champions League titles to their name during the qualifying period, meaning coefficient places end up accounting for nine slots. It is, however, not necessary that all best best-performing clubs in the Club Rankings are included in the competition, as the restriction on more than two clubs from the same association participating in the Club World Cup inhibits a monotonous lineup from taking place for the UEFA Club World Cup players, teams and the overall competition.