Fluminense is preparing to debut on Monday against Al-Ahly of Egypt in a Club World Cup that will have an unprecedented champion and with its history that is dominated by Real Madrid. The Merengues, the last team to lift this cup last year in Morocco, has already won this trophy five times since it acquired its current format in 2005.
Heir to the Intercontinental Cup that pitted the American champion against the European champion in a match, 18 years ago the competition was expanded to bring together the best from each of the six world confederations and a club from the host country.
Beyond this change, the winners of the Intercontinental between 1960 and 2004 were already recognized by FIFA as world champions. Thus, Real Madrid also dominates the history with eight titles in its different formats and is followed with four cups by AC Milan and Bayern Munich.
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America’s world champions
In America, the reign is shared by São Paulo, Boca Juniors, Peñarol and Nacional, with three titles each, if those obtained in the old and current formats are added.
With the current format that brings together all the confederations, only three teams, all from Brazil, won the Club World Cup. São Paulo achieved it in 2005, Internacional in 2006 and Corinthians in 2012, which was the last time that the champion was not European.
Fluminense will seek to break the streak, but to do so they will first have to beat Al-Ahly of Egypt. And then wait for the winner of Manchester City, the big favorite, and the Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan.
