Chelsea given unique honor as Man City and rivals 'titles stripped'

Chelsea’s dominant Club World Cup victory this summer has led to an unexpected snowball effect, with several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, having their previous titles effectively downgraded.

Enzo Maresca’s side cruised to a convincing 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final at the MetLife Stadium, with Cole Palmer scoring twice and Joao Pedro adding a chipped finish to cap off a historic performance.

The win makes Chelsea the first English club to have won every major domestic and international title available. This landmark includes the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Europa League, and now, the new-format FIFA Club World Cup.

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But it’s not just a milestone moment for Chelsea, it’s also one that has triggered a significant reclassification of footballing honours.

Following the final, FIFA shared an image of Chelsea lifting the trophy with the caption: "The first ever FIFA CWC Champions." That phrasing sparked confusion, particularly among fans of clubs that had previously won the tournament.

According to The Mail, FIFA will now recognise Chelsea as the first official winners of the new-format Club World Cup.

In turn, all previous winners, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and English clubs like Liverpool, Man City and Man United, will have their victories rebranded as "Intercontinental Champions" rather than Club World Cup winners.

Real Madrid have won the tournament a record five times. Chelsea, meanwhile, now officially hold one Club World Cup 'title' despite having previously lifted the trophy in 2021. That earlier win, like the others, has now been reclassified.

The change stems from the restructuring of the competition. Traditionally held every year since 2005, the Club World Cup has now become a quadrennial event, modelled more closely on the FIFA World Cup.

The 2025 edition, held in the United States, was the first under this new format. It featured an expanded roster of top teams from every continent and offering a larger global platform.

And while Chelsea celebrate becoming inaugural champions in FIFA’s eyes, their triumph has also rewritten the modern honours list.