What the Club World Cup is and how it is played
The Club World Cup is the tournament that gathers the champions of each continent to crown the best club in the world: in ELDT, 8 clubs, four from the Americas and four from Europe, in single matches at neutral venues.
A club world cup brings the continental champions (and sometimes a guest) together in a short knockout tournament. Unlike a league it does not reward consistency but the knockout blow: few matches, all decisive, and a single world champion.
The ELDT Club World Cup has 8 places, four from the Americas and four from Europe: the champions of the Champions Cup of the Americas and of the European Champions Cup from the two previous seasons, the champions of the Challenge Cup and the European Challenge Cup from the last season, the winner of the cycle's Intercontinental Final (if already qualified, the runner-up of the most recent Champions Cup of his continent) and the top-flight champion with the most points in the last season who did not qualify through a cup. If a club repeats a title, the runner-up comes in. It is played as quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, all single matches at neutral venues: no home side and no gate receipts. Two clubs from the same continent cannot meet in the quarter-finals, and the two most recent Champions Cup winners are seeded. Level ties go to penalties.
It is held at the start of every odd season from Season 5, in the first two weeks, before the continental cups take over the Wednesdays. In even seasons, from Season 4, the Intercontinental Final is played in its place. Prize money: $60 million for the champion, $30 million for the runner-up, $15 million for each semi-finalist and $8 million for playing the quarter-finals. The champion earns the World Champion achievement, the most famous in the game, and adds a star above the club crest for every Club World Cup won.
See it in the game: the manager's guide.
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