The format of this year’s Club World Cup was completely different, with 32 teams from six confederations competing in both the group and knockout stages.
Unfortunately for United, Liverpool, and City, FIFA has now decided how to recognize the new event.
Chelsea is now the only club team that can be regarded as “world champions” after they were chosen to be recognized as the “first-ever” Club World Cup winners.
The Daily Mail claims that the three English teams mentioned above, along with every other champion in the past, will now be referred to as “FIFA Intercontinental Champions.”
Each of the six teams who won their confederation’s continental cup competes in a mini-tournament in December under the same name, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
In other words, it is distinct from the other FIFA Intercontinental Cup, which was played between the winners of the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League and took place from 1970 to 2004.
The trophy for the previous model also had the ‘Club World Cup’ moniker, however the new Club World Cup came with a new trophy.
Following all of that, we are left with a sort of roll of honors that honors a single world champion together with numerous other former world champions.
After winning their continental titles the previous season, PSG, Pyramids, Al Hilal, and Cruz Azul have already qualified for the 2029 Club World Cup.
10Michael Olise
Bayern Munich
Michael Olise always exuded a calm assurance at Crystal Palace that was calculated but undeniable. His arrogance in playing, as though he always knew he was meant for greatness, supported it. Since joining Bayern Munich, he has advanced to a higher level thanks to his natural ability to both score and create goals as well as his talent for exploiting his unpredictable mobility to lethal advantage.
The 23-year-old, who is already a Bundesliga champion, finished the German top flight with 12 goals and 15 assists the previous season, and he is only getting better. Olise is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling football players to watch these days, and few, if any, in the world of football today move the ball with the same accuracy and inventiveness.
9Nuno Mendes
Paris Saint-Germain
Nuno Mendes solidified his reputation as one of the best left-backs in the world during the 2024–25 season by helping PSG win the Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Champions League, as well as the Nations League trophy with Portugal. In the Champions League Round of 16, he shut out Mohamed Salah in both legs, recorded 13 tackles, and won 19 of 23 ground duels, making the Egyptian King a non-entity. This was a sign of his developing defensive savvy.
Salah, who is ranked higher, wasn’t the only winger who was left feeling like a deer in the headlights. The youngster’s expanding list of well-known victims as he takes Luis Enrique’s side to stratospheric levels includes Bukayo Saka and Lamine Yamal, who also found it difficult to create an impression while facing Mendes.
8Erling Haaland
Manchester City
In today’s wonderful game, nobody compares to Erling Haaland. In fact, it’s safe to say that no one in the sport’s history has ever been like him. Since coming to England in 2022, he has scored goals at an incredible rate. Even while that groundbreaking run has recently slowed down by his high standards, he has broken numerous records at City.
Haaland has a really respectable goal total over his career, proving that he can score with almost any part of his body, though he definitely prefers using his left foot. He has scored more than half of his goals with his left foot, and given how dominant he has been for a number of years, there is no question that he is now the finest left-footed out-and-out stiker in international football.
7Bukayo Saka
Arsenal
For good cause, Bukayo Saka, who is only 23 years old, has already solidified his status as one of Arsenal’s greatest academy graduates. When he is playing at his best, no defender in the world can contain the Englishman, who is explosive on the Gunners’ wing.
Nobody in the planet can get past opposing defenders as smoothly as Saka, and few players are as at ease carrying the ball up the field. Despite his lackluster start to the 2024–25 season, he did a fantastic job supporting his teammates. Given that he only managed 10 assists in 25 league games during the previous season, it’s unsettling to consider how much better he can yet get.
6Lionel Messi
Inter Miami
Even if Lionel Messi’s career is coming to an end, he is still one of the world’s most gifted players. He has missed a lot of time due to injury concerns in recent months, but when he made his comeback in the Club World Cup and helped Inter Miami defeat Porto 2-1, he immediately showed the world why he is considered the greatest player of all time.
With the ball at his feet, no one has ever been able to do what the Argentine can. Although he is amazing with both feet, his left foot is stronger than the right. He joined Inter Miami, a young MLS team that was entrenched at the bottom of the table, in 2023. After two years, he has already guided them to their first trophy and is now considered one of the greatest MLS players of all time. Amazing.
5Raphinha
Barcelona
As Hansi Flick’s Barcelona team tormented every backline they faced last season, Raphinha, the former poster child of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, silenced the critics with a combination of flair and firepower, becoming far too much for defenders in Spain’s top flight and on Europe’s biggest stage. When one of the biggest clubs in the world made a big move for the Brazilian, eyebrows were definitely raised.
The Catalan giants are perhaps the only ones laughing now that he has a possible Ballon d’Or in his sights. During the 2024–25 season, Raphinha scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists in 57 games, using his left wand to devastating effect. The world is so full of outstanding left-footed talent these days that it’s nearly impossible that anyone managed more.
4Cole Palmer
Chelsea
Cole Palmer’s transfer from Manchester City to Chelsea will be regarded for years to come as the turning point in the Englishman’s life. At the Etihad Stadium, he showed a lot of promise, but nobody could have foreseen how excellent he would get at Stamford Bridge.
It’s difficult to imagine where the Blues would be at this point without Palmer, who has been nothing short of electric. He may not have played a significant role for England at Euro 2024, but his importance to Chelsea is undeniable given that he helped the team win the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup, scoring twice in the latter’s final.
He scored four goals in a Premier League game for the second time since relocating to London two years ago during the team’s four-goal demolition of Brighton & Hove Albion last season.
3Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
For almost ten years, Mohamed Salah has been among the world’s top performers. He is the epitome of consistency. The Egyptian took the Premier League by storm after joining Liverpool in 2017, and he has been essential to the Reds’ success ever since. Although he is at ease with both feet, he has scored 178 of his 322 goals in his career with his left foot, which he undoubtedly prefers.
Salah hasn’t skipped a beat after Jurgen Klopp left last year and Arne Slot took over. He finished as the Premier League’s top striker and playmaker, helping the Reds win their second league title in five years with a 10-point lead over Arsenal. It’s frightening to consider that he might score even more goals in the 2025–2026 season with Florian Wirtz joining him on the front line.
2Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
It’s fair to say that Ousmane Dembele’s past few years have been quite hectic. The Frenchman, who attracted a lot of attention while playing for Borussia Dortmund, failed to impress at Barcelona after a deal that made him one of the most expensive players in the history of the sport. However, his move from Spain to Paris Saint-Germain has paid off, as he is currently well ahead of the competition for this year’s coveted Ballon d’Or award.
The former winger turned striker has scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions. Just think of his brilliant goal against Arsenal on his path to Champions League success or his fast move to prod home against Liverpool. They have also been significant goals.
1Lamine Yamal
Barcelona
There are very few people who have enjoyed a better 24 months than Lamine Yamal. The Spaniard, who was just breaking into Barcelona’s first team in the beginning of the 2023–24 season, had the appearance of someone who would one day be regarded as a high football player. Today, he has already attained that level far more quickly than anyone could have predicted.
Both for the club and the nation, the forward has been outstanding. After playing a key role in Spain’s victory at Euro 2024, he has continued to play well into the new year and was perhaps Barcelona’s finest player as the Catalan powerhouses won the domestic treble. With his ability to terrorize opponents and pull off utterly incredible assists, he is well on his way to become not just the world’s finest left-footed player but possibly the best player overall.
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