3-30-07 - Palmeiras a World Champion?

FIFA announced today that it will recognize Palmerias as world club champions for their Copa Rio title won in 1951. The Copa Rio was an eight-team tournament put together by the CBD (the precusor to the CBF, the Brazilian Football Confederation) that featured a handful of national champion clubs. Palmeiras, the São Paulo state champions, beat Italian champions Juventus in the two-legged final.

But are they really world champions? And why now, 56 years later?

The answer lies with the FIFA Club World Championship 2000. At the time, the Toyota Cup operated independently from FIFA and was not recognized by the entity. FIFA, in an effort to create a world championship of its own, organized an eight-team tournament that was contested in Brazil in January 2000. The problem lied in the qualifying criteria. In order to create local interest, FIFA decided to inscribe 1998 Libertadores Cup champions Vasco da Gama as the South American representative. This came just months before Palmeiras ended up winning the 1999 edition. Additionally, another berth would go to the 1998 Brazilian champion – Corinthians. The two Brazilian entrants ended up meeting in the final, with Corinthians winning the title on penalty kicks.

So, despite having never won a continental championship, Corinthians could now claim a “world championship” after winning an eight-team tournament held in Brazil. But Palmeiras had already accomplished that same feat in 1951. Thus, the Verdão sent a request to FIFA in 2001 that the entity recognize the Copa Rio as a precursor to the FIFA Club World Championship, thus making them the first world club champions.

But just like Corinthians title, Palmeiras claim to a world championship is dubious. For one, how can the Copa Rio be considered a world championship when Palmeiras may not have even been the best team in Brazil? Only Vasco (Rio state champions) and Palmeiras (São Paulo state champions) were invited. What about Grêmio, Internacional, Cruzeiro, and the rest of the nation? They had no shot. Also, where were the Argentines? Argentina, which has won more Libertadores Cups than any other nation, had no representative. Other power nations not invited were England, Germany and Spain (Real Madrid anyone?). So you tell me: is the Copa Rio really a world championship?

It appears that now any team that wins an international tournament is a “world champion”. But as Palmeiras will find out, being recognized by FIFA does not a champion make. Public opinion will determine the value of the title. Just ask Corinthians.