World Football Challenge

Last updated

World Football Challenge
WFClogo.jpg
Founded2009
Abolished2013
Region CONCACAF
UEFA
Canada
United States (hosts)
Number of teamsVaries
Television broadcasters ESPN
Univisión
Website mlssoccer.com

The World Football Challenge was an international club association football exhibition competition featuring club teams from Europe and North America, that was held from 2009 until 2012, when it was replaced by the International Champions Cup. [1]

Contents

History

The 2009 World Football Challenge was the first World Football Challenge event, featuring Chelsea from the Premier League in England, América from the Primera División de México in Mexico, and Internazionale and AC Milan from Serie A in Italy. Chelsea were the 2009 champions. [2]

The 2011 World Football Challenge was held in July and August 2011. It featured thirteen different squads meeting up in fourteen matches across the United States and Canada. The tournament format was very different from the 2009 event, due to the increase in number of teams, including five MLS teams. Four of the MLS teams played one match at home while L.A. Galaxy played one match on their home pitch and one at the larger Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Real Madrid emerged as the World Football Challenge winners for 2011 with 17 points, narrowly edging-out Manchester United on goal differential. [3] The only European clubs to play against each other in this tournament were Juventus and Sporting CP. This was Sporting CP's only match in the exhibition.

The 2012 World Football Challenge was held in seven American and one Canadian stadium in July and August 2012. Eleven clubs competed from UEFA and CONCACAF. Real Madrid played the most matches and went undefeated. [4]

On April 15, 2013, it was announced that the International Champions Cup would be replacing the World Football Challenge. [5]

Winners

TournamentWinnerNationRunner-upNationThirdNation
Chelsea Flag of England.svg  England América Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Internazionale Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Real Madrid Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Manchester United Flag of England.svg  England Manchester City Flag of England.svg  England
Real Madrid Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
n/a (changed to unbalanced format)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Beckham</span> English footballer (born 1975)

David Robert Joseph Beckham is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, crossing ability and free-kick taking, Beckham has been hailed as one of the greatest and most recognisable midfielders of his generation, as well as one of the best free-kick takers of all time. He won 19 major trophies in his career, and is the first English player to win league titles in four different countries: England, Spain, the United States and France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA Champions League</span> European association football tournament

The UEFA Champions League is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competition winners through a round robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout format, and a single leg final. It is the most-watched club competition in the world and the third most-watched football competition overall, behind only the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LA Galaxy</span> Soccer club in Carson, California

The LA Galaxy, originally known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional men's soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play in 1996 as one of the league's 10 charter members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Cup</span> Annual soccer tournament

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference Final. The MLS Cup winner is awarded the title of league champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cristiano Ronaldo</span> Portuguese footballer (born 1985)

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), goals (140) and assists (42) in the Champions League, most appearances (30), assists (8), goals in the European Championship (14), international goals (130) and international appearances (212). He is one of the few players to have made over 1,200 professional career appearances, the most by an outfield player, and has scored over 890 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the top goalscorer of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlo Ancelotti</span> Italian football manager (born 1959)

Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Real Madrid. Nicknamed "Carletto" in Italy and "Don Carlo" in Spain, he is regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time. Ancelotti is the most successful manager in UEFA Champions League history, having won the trophy a record five times, plus two more when he was a player. He is also the first and only one to have managed teams in six Champions League finals. As a player, he won the European Cup twice with AC Milan in 1989 and 1990, making him one of seven people to have won the European Cup or Champions League as both a player and a manager. Ancelotti is also the first and only manager ever to have won league titles in all of Europe's top five leagues. He has won the FIFA Club World Cup three times, and is also the manager with the joint-most UEFA Super Cup triumphs, having won the trophy on four occasions, managing Milan and Real Madrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Vela</span> Mexican footballer (born 1989)

Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido is a Mexican professional footballer who is a free agent. A versatile offensive player, Vela has been deployed as a forward, winger, and attacking midfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics</span>

This page details all statistics of all seasons of the European Cup and Champions League. These statistics do not include the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, unless otherwise noted.

The history of the European Cup and UEFA Champions League spans over sixty years of competition, finding winners and runners-up from all over the continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonzalo Higuaín</span> Argentine footballer (born 1987)

Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is nicknamed El Pipita or Pipa. Considered to be one of the best strikers of his generation, Higuaín was a prolific striker known for his eye for goal, strong physique, offensive movements and predatory finishing. He won six European league titles across La Liga and Serie A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javier Hernández</span> Mexican footballer (born 1988)

Javier Hernández Balcázar, commonly known by the nickname Chicharito, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a striker for Liga MX club Guadalajara. He is known for his clinical finishing along with his pace and technical ability and is widely considered to be amongst the greatest Mexican players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 UEFA Champions League final</span> The final of the 2009–10 edition of the UEFA Champions League

The 2010 UEFA Champions League final was an association football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a weekend, rather than the traditional weekday. The match was won by Inter Milan, who beat Bayern Munich 2–0 to complete the treble, a feat never before achieved by any team from either Italy or Germany. The refereeing team came from England and was led by Howard Webb.

The 2012 Major League Soccer season was the 17th season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 100th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 34th with a national first-division league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Record attendances in United States club soccer</span>

Competitive men's professional soccer has been played in the United States since 1912 and since 2001 for women's. Numerous leagues have existed over the years with some recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and some not. The lists below are the single game attendance records for men's outdoor (60,000+), women's outdoor (20,000+), and men's indoor (18,000+) matches in American club soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Álvaro Morata</span> Spanish footballer (born 1992)

Álvaro Borja Morata Martín is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and captains the Spain national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Oliver (referee)</span> English football referee

Michael Oliver is an English professional football referee from Ashington, Northumberland. His county FA is the Northumberland Football Association. He belongs to the Select Group of Referees in England and officiates primarily in the Premier League. He received his FIFA badge in 2012, allowing him to officiate in major international matches. Oliver was appointed to take charge of the final of the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Oliver was promoted to the UEFA Elite Group of Referees in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 World Football Challenge</span> Football tournament season

The 2011 World Football Challenge was the second World Football Challenge event, a series of friendly association football matches played in Canada and the United States in July and August.

The year of 2011 in CONCACAF marked the 48th year of CONCACAF competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 International Champions Cup</span> International football competition

The 2013 International Champions Cup was an exhibition association football tournament played in Spain and the United States. It began on Saturday, July 27 and culminated on Wednesday, August 7, 2013. This tournament replaced the World Football Challenge and was staged mainly throughout the United States, and with one match in Valencia, Spain. The participating teams were LA Galaxy of the United States, Real Madrid and Valencia of Spain, Milan, Juventus and Inter Milan of Italy, and Chelsea and Everton of England. In the United States, Fox Soccer televised 11 of 12 matches live, and Fox Sports broadcast one match live on August 3. ESPN Deportes televised all matches live on TV and on WatchESPN in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Champions Cup</span> Annual club association football exhibition competition

The International Champions Cup (ICC) was an annual club association football (soccer) official competition staged from 2013 to 2019. COVID-19 resulted in the 2020 edition being cancelled. The tournament was later abolished, but the Women's International Champions Cup has continued to play in 2021 and 2022.

References

  1. "International Champions Cup to feature Galaxy, Real Madrid and Juventus". April 16, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  2. "The US tour has been concluded with the World Football Challenge bowl and a fourth win in four". Chelsea. chelseafc.com.
  3. "El Real Madrid se adjudica el World Football Challenge" [Real Madrid wins the World Football Challenge]. AS (in Spanish). AS.com.
  4. "WFC: Real Madrid top Celtic to finish US tour perfect". MLS. MLSSoccer.com.
  5. Wahl, Grant (April 15, 2013). "U.S. will host new International Champions Cup this summer". Sports Illustrated . SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. Retrieved April 16, 2013.