Unofficial Football World Championships
Encyclopedia
| Current Champions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title Gained | ||
| 15 November 2011: | 1–0 vs , 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil... , Kim Il-sung Stadium Kim Il-sung Stadium Kim Il-sung Stadium is a large stadium located in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It was originally built as the Kirimri Stadium in 1926 during the Japanese occupation in 1930-1940s... , Pyongyang Pyongyang Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was... , North Korea |
|
| Next defence | ||
| 29 February 2012: | vs , 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil... , Tajikistan |
|
The Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC) is a way of calculating the world's best football team, using a knock-out title system similar to that used in boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. The title is currently held by , having been won from Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil...
match on 15 November. Their first scheduled defence is an away match to in the same tournament on 29 February 2012.
The idea stemmed originally from some Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
fans jokingly asserting that as they beat England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
(who had won the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
) in a British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
match on 15 April 1967 – England's first loss after their World Cup victory – they were the Unofficial World Champions.
Many years later, a website was created to show results of research triggered by this idea. The website received extra publicity when it was featured in football magazine FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket. Published monthly, costing £4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011...
. The FourFourTwo feature also suggested the compilation of an unofficial clubs' world championship.
The UFWC is not FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
-sanctioned, nor does it have any sort of official backing.
Early days
The first ever international match was a 0–0 draw between England and Scotland, on 30 November 1872 at Hamilton CrescentHamilton Crescent
Hamilton Crescent is a cricket ground located in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club.Hamilton Crescent is famous for holding the first ever international football match, played between Scotland and England...
. The Unofficial World Championship thus remained vacant until the same two teams met again at the Kennington Oval on 8 March 1873. England won 4–2, and so are regarded as having become the first ever Unofficial Football World Champions. Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
entered the 'competition' in 1876, and Ireland in 1882. The Championship however, continued to swap between Scotland and England until March 1903, when Ireland beat Scotland 2–0. Wales won the title for the first time in March 1907, beating Scotland 1–0.
Scotland regained the Championship the following year, which saw England playing internationally. Scotland however, didn't do the same and so retained the title. By the end of 1909, England had taken the title and defended it outside of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
for the first time.
Ireland won the title for the third time in 1927, beating England 2–0: of the two teams using the name Ireland at that time, this was the team representing the Belfast-based Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
, subsequently known as .
The fact that none of the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
teams competed in the 1930
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
, 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
or 1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
kept the title from travelling too far abroad, and the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
World Wars hindered football's globalisation process further.
1930s–2000
It was 1931 when the title was first passed outside the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, to Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. It was back with the home nations within four months, and for all but the last few months of the decade it was held by those four teams. In the 1940s the title was held by continental teams, notably those representing the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
and countries neutral during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but was recaptured by England in time for the 1950 World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
. Here, in a shock result, they lost to the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in one of the biggest upsets ever
England v United States (1950)
On 29 June 1950, at the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the United States defeated England 1–0 in a group match. This unexpected result has led to the match being described as the "Miracle on Grass", in reference to the 1980 Miracle on Ice, in which the US ice hockey team beat the Soviet Union. The...
. This was the first venture of the title onto the Americas, where it remained for all but one of the following 16 years.
Curaçao national football team
The Curaçao national football team is the official football team for Curaçao, under the control of the Curaçao Football Federation.-History:Although not a sovereign state, Curaçao appeared on the FIFA member list in March 2011, as successor of the Netherlands Antilles, which had been dissolved ...
, who beat Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
2–1 in a CONCACAF Championship
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
match to become the smallest country ever to hold the title. The UFWC returned to Europe in time for the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
with the Soviet Union
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
. As it happened, the England v Scotland match of 1967, which first gave rise to the idea of an unofficial world championship, really was a UFWC title match. The title stayed in Europe until 1978, when it was taken by Argentina's
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
winning side. It remained in South America until the 1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
where Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
lost to Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
. The UFWC remained in Europe for the next ten years, except for a one year tenure by Argentina.
In 1992, the title returned to the United States and then was held for one match by Australia, and then worked its way through several South American nations, back through Europe and to its first Asian holders, South Korea
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
. The Koreans lost the title to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
in their next match, and the UFWC remained in Europe until March 1998 when Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
lost it to Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in a friendly. Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
then defeated Brazil in a friendly to carry the UFWC into the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
.
France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
repeated Argentina's 1978 feat by taking the title as they won the World Cup on home turf, beating Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. England took the title for the last time to date at UEFA Euro 2000. France and Spain enjoyed spells as champions before the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
won the title in March 2002. As the Dutch had failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, the UFWC was, unusually, not at stake at the official World Cup. The Netherlands retained the title until 10 September 2003, when they lost 3–1 to the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
.
Full globalisation
The Czechs defended their title a few times, before losing it to the Republic of Ireland in a friendly. The title then went to an African nation for the first time, as they lost it to NigeriaNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
. Minnows Angola
Angola national football team
The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras , is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. Angola reached 45th in the FIFA Rankings in July 2002...
won and kept this title through late 2004 and early 2005. They were then beaten by Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team, nicknamed The Warriors, is the national team of Zimbabwe and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association. They were known as the Southern Rhodesia national football team from 1939–1964, then the Rhodesia national football team until 1980, when Rhodesia...
, who held the title for six months before Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
re-gained it in October 2005. Nigeria were beaten by Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
who lost it to Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
within six months. Uruguay became the highest ranked team to hold the title since 2004, but their failure to qualify for the World Cup finals
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
meant that, for the second time in succession, the unofficial title was not available at the official championships.
Return to Europe
The title was brought back to Europe by GeorgiaGeorgia national football team
The Georgia national football team is the national association football team of Georgia and is controlled by the Georgian Football Federation. The Georgian team's first match took place in 1990, while Georgia was still part of the Soviet Union. The team have attempted to qualify for each major...
on 15 November 2006. They lost the title to the highest ranked team in the UWFC of all time, Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, on 24 March 2007, nearly forty years since Scotland had last gained the title, in the game against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley that had inspired the concept of the UFWC. Just four days later, Scotland conceded the title to FIFA World Cup holders Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, and the title passed through the hands of Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
twice, Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
and before being claimed by the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, who lost the title to Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
after a run that saw more successful defences than any other reign.
First Asian Cup matches
The European sojourn of the title was brought to an end when Argentina beat Spain in a September 2010 friendly, and after beating the Argentines in a friendly, Japan brought the title to the Asian Cup2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
for the first time in 2011, and remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. Scheduled defences of the title were cancelled after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and they held the title for over a year before relinquishing it to North Korea, ranked 124th
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
in the world by FIFA, the lowest ranking of a UFWC champion since the rankings were introduced in 1993.
Rankings table
Because of the unofficial nature of the title, there are no authoritative criteria for ranking the historical holders of the title. The UFWC website sorts teams by how many championship deciding matches they have won: others have used cumulative length of time holding the title, a points system for matches won, drawn and lost, or other methods.This table ranks the teams according to the number of matches that they have started as title holders, and in the event of a tie, uses cumulative days as title holder and then length of time since the title was last held as second and third criteria.
| Rank | Country | Matches as champion | | Days as champion | | Reigns as champion | | Title matches won* | | Title last held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 103 | 13,003 | 20 | 86 | 28 March 2007 | |
| 2 | 88 | 7,506 | 21 | 74 | 20 June 2000 | |
| 3 | 66 | 2,299 | 9 | 49 | 11 July 2010 | |
| 4 | 62 | 2,474 | 11 | 51 | 8 Oct 2010 | |
| 5 | 50 | 1,580 | 6 | 41 | 23 February 2000 | |
| 6 | 37 | 1,251 | 7 | 29 | 12 July 1998 | |
| 7 | 36 | 1,198 | 9 | 27 | 17 June 2000 | |
| 8 | 34 | 1,333 | 6 | 25 | 28 March 2001 | |
| 9 | 30 | 1,002 | 9 | 27 | 22 August 2007 | |
| 10 | 28 | 1,505 | 6 | 26 | 19 November 2008 | |
| 11 | 27 | 1,138 | 7 | 17 | 10 September 2008 | |
| 12 | 24 | 1,256 | 5 | 17 | 7 September 2010 | |
| 13 | 23 | 648 | 5 | 15 | 31 March 2004 | |
| 14 | 20 | 1,031 | 6 | 16 | 15 November 2006 | |
| 15 | 16 | 816 | 2 | 12 | 16 June 1968 | |
| 16 | 16 | 403 | 1 | 11 | 15 November 2011 | |
| 17 | 14 | 1,124 | 7 | 9 | 26 June 1994 | |
| 18 | 13 | 1,821 | 8 | 12 | 14 September 1988 | |
| 19 | 13 | 1,109 | 3 | 8 | 31 January 1995 | |
| 20 | 13 | 1,066 | 4 | 11 | 30 March 1982 | |
| 21 | 12 | 528 | 2 | 11 | 24 May 2008 | |
| 22 | 11 | 452 | 2 | 7 | 5 December 1979 | |
| 23 | 11 | 308 | 4 | 7 | 22 June 1982 | |
| 24 | 10 | 269 | 4 | 8 | 23 May 2006 | |
| 25 | 9 | 422 | 3 | 6 | 4 September 1985 | |
| 26 | 8 | 2,709 | 4 | 5 | 14 October 1933 | |
| 27 | 8 | 280 | 1 | 7 | 27 March 2005 | |
| 28 | 8 | 195 | 1 | 7 | 8 October 2005 | |
| 29 | 7 | 188 | 4 | 5 | 17 January 1990 | |
| 30 | 6 | 160 | 1 | 5 | 4 September 1963 | |
| 31 | 5 | 144 | 3 | 5 | 31 May 1995 | |
| 32 | 5 | 122 | 2 | 3 | 29 May 2004 | |
| 33 | 5 | 55 | 3 | 5 | 20 April 1994 | |
| 34 | 5 | 41 | 2 | 4 | 7 May 1989 | |
| 35 | 4 | 61 | 2 | 4 | 16 November 2005 | |
| 36 | 3 | 314 | 2 | 2 | 4 June 1992 | |
| 37 | 3 | 75 | 2 | 3 | 23 August 1989 | |
| 38 | 3 | 63 | 1 | 2 | 22 August 1965 | |
| 39 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 14 June 1992 | |
| 40 | 2 | 129 | 1 | 2 | 24 March 2007 | |
| 41 | 2 | 63 | 1 | 1 | 26 April 2000 | |
| 42 | 2 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 17 October 2007 | |
| 43 | 1 | 290 | 1 | 1 | 24 March 1963 | |
| 44 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 18 October 2006 | |
| 45 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 February 1995 | |
| 46 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 June 1992 | |
| 47 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 28 March 1963 | |
| 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Current champions |
† As of
Rules
- The first team to win an international football match were declared first ever Unofficial Football World Champions. This was EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
who defeated ScotlandScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
4–2 in 1873 in the second international match, the first having been a draw between the same two nations. - The next FIFA accredited international 'A' match involving a title holder is considered a title match, with the winners taking the title.
- In the event of a title match being a draw, the current holders of the title remain champions. UFWC title matches are decided by their ultimate outcome, including extra time and penalties.
- Title matches are contested under the rules of the governing body which they are sanctioned by.
World Cup finals
| Year | UFWC contested? | |Holders going into competition | | Holders at end of competition | | Holders absent from competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 1930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
No | |||
| 1934 1934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
No | |||
| 1938 1938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
No | |||
| 1950 1950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
Yes | |||
| 1954 1954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
No | |||
| 1958 1958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
Yes | |||
| 1962 1962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
Yes | |||
| 1966 1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
Yes | |||
| 1970 1970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... |
No | |||
| 1974 1974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
Yes | |||
| 1978 1978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
Yes | |||
| 1982 1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Yes | |||
| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
Yes | |||
| 1990 1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
No | |||
| 1994 1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
Yes | |||
| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Yes | |||
| 2002 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
No | |||
| 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
No | |||
| 2010 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Yes | |||
No team has ever successfully defended the unofficial world championship title through a World Cup Finals. The Netherlands have come closest, remaining unbeaten in both the 1974 and 2010 competitions right up until the final, where they lost to West Germany and Spain respectively. West Germany were also beaten finalists in 1986, but the title exchanged hands four times during the tournament.
Chile in 1950, Mexico in 1962 and Colombia in 1994 were eliminated in the group stage but left the World Cup as unofficial world champions.
The championships of each of the continental championships are only listed when the title was contested during the tournament.
European Championships
| Year | Holders going into competition | | Holders at end of competition | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 1976 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:19 goals were scored in 4 games for an average of 4.75 goals per game.4 goals Dieter Müller2 goals Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels... |
>- | 1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... |
>- | 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... |
>- | 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... |
South American Championships/Copa América
| Year | Holders going into competition | | Holders at end of competition | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 South American Championship 1953 -Goal scorers:7 Goals Molina5 Goals Julinho4 Goals Berni Fernández Balseiro3 Goals Baltazar López C. Romero Peláez2 Goals Alcón Santos Ugarte Pinga Rodrigues Gómez Sánchez Morel Puente1 Goal Ademir Cláudio Ipojucan Nilton Santos Zizinho... |
>- | 1955 South American Championship 1955 The South American Championship 1955 was a football tournament held in Chile and won by Argentina with Chile as a second.Rodolfo Micheli from Argentina became top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals.-Final round:------------------------... |
>- | 1956 South American Championship 1956 South American Championship 1956 was a football tournament held in Uruguay and won by Uruguay with Chile as a second.Enrique Hormazábal from Chile became top scorer of the tournament with 4 goals.-Final round:----------------------------... * |
>- | 1957 South American Championship 1957 The South American Championship 1957 was a football tournament held in Peru and won by Argentina with Brazil as a second.Humberto Maschio from Argentina and Javier Ambrois from Uruguay became top scorers of the tournament with 9 goals each.-Final round:... |
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| 1959 South American Championship 1959 (Argentina) The South American Championship 1959 was a football tournament held in Argentina, and won by Argentina with Brazil in second.Pelé from Brazil became top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals.-Stadium:All games played in Buenos Aires, at Estadio Monumental.... |
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| 1959 South American Championship 1959 (Ecuador) The 1959 South American Championship held in Ecuador was an extra South American Championship for the year. The tournament was contested between five teams; Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Peru did not participate and Brazil attended with a team from Pernambuco... * |
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| 1979 Copa América 1979 The 1979 edition of the Copa América soccer tournament was played between July 10 and December 12. This time, the continental champion would not go to the FIFA World Cup. It was not held in a particular country, all matches were played on a home and away basis... |
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| 1993 Copa América 1993 The 1993 Copa América was the 36th Copa América, CONMEBOL's football tournament for national teams. It was held in Ecuador between June 15 and July 4. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, but for the first time two nations from outside CONMEBOL were invited to take part in the tournament. Mexico and... |
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
CONCACAF Championships
| Year | Holders going into competition | | Holders at end of competition |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 1963 CONCACAF Championship -Group A:Results-----------------------------------------Group B:Results-------------------------Final round:-------------------------External links:*... |
Asian Cup
| Year | Holders going into competition | | Holders at end of competition |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 |
The continental championships of Africa and Oceania have not yet seen competition for this title.
Confederations cups
| Year | Holders going into competition | | Holders at end of competition |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 King Fahd Cup -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Bruce Murray1 goal Alberto Acosta Ricardo Altamirano... |
Nasazzi's Baton
A similar virtual title, NasazziJosé Nasazzi
José Nasazzi Yarza was the Uruguayan footballer who captained his country when they won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.-Biography:...
's Baton, traces the "championship" from the first World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
winners Uruguay, after whose captain it is named. Nasazzi's Baton follows the same rules as the UFWC, except that it treats all matches according to their result after 90 minutes. This title is currently held by Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, who won it from Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in a friendly on 11 November 2011. Their next title defence is not yet scheduled. Nasazzi's Baton most recently separated from the UFWC at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
Final, when the Netherlands were drawing with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
after 90 minutes and so retained Nasazzi's Baton, then lost after extra-time, conceding the UFWC.
Virtual World Championship
Another virtual title, the Virtual World Championship, operates along the same boxing-style lines but only counts matches in FIFA-recognised championships and their qualifying stages. This is to circumvent the criticism of the UFWC that because countries do not always play their strongest teams in non-competitive matches, the honour could be unwittingly lost by a sub-strength team. This title is traced from the 1908 Olympic final, and treats all matches according to their result after 90 minutes. Olympic competitions since 1936 are not considered, as full international teams ceased to take part after that tournament. The honour is currently held by ArgentinaArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, who won it from Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
in a 2014 World cup qualifier
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American Zone of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees nine teams competing for places in the finals which are to be held in Brazil.-Format:The format for CONMEBOL's 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament is identical to the previous four editions...
on 15 November 2011, and will next be defended on 2 June 2012 at home to Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
in a 2014 World Cup qualifier
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American Zone of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees nine teams competing for places in the finals which are to be held in Brazil.-Format:The format for CONMEBOL's 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament is identical to the previous four editions...
. The Virtual World Championship and Unofficial World Championships most recently separated when Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
lost the latter title to Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in a friendly on 16 November 2005.
Pound for Pound World Championship
Another similar competition, the Pound for Pound World Championship, was created by a Scottish football magazine The Away End, and follows similar rules to the Virtual World Championship in that it only recognises competitive games, although it recognises many unofficial tournaments which are considered to be friendlies by FIFA. As with the UFWC, extra time and penalties are taken into account in defining the winner of a match. However, it only counts games from as far back as the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, and states that no matter who holds the title of Pound for Pound World Champion they must relinquish the crown at the beginning of every World Cup finals. At the end of the tournament the World Cup winners are crowned the new Pound for Pound World Champions. Therefore in effect the tournament is "reset" every four years. The title is currently held by , who won it when they won the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
on 11 July 2010 and will defend it next at UEFA Euro 2012. The title most recently separated from the Unofficial Football World Championship when Spain were defeated by Argentina in a friendly in Buenos Aires in September 2010.