
Club World Cup 2008 was the 5th edition of FIFA Club World Cup, a football tournament for the champion clubs from each of FIFA’s six continental confederations. The tournament was held in Japan from 11 to 21 December 2008.
Defending champions Milan did not qualify for the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, having been eliminated in the round of 16 of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. The winners of that competition, Manchester United, claimed their first Club World Cup title. United defeated Gamba Osaka 5–3 in the semi-finals and went on to beat LDU Quito 1–0 in the final, held at the International Stadium in Yokohama on 21 December. This victory marked United’s second world title, following their triumph in the 1999 Intercontinental Cup, which was also hosted in Japan. Notably, this edition of the Club World Cup was the first in which the CONMEBOL representative was not from either Argentina or Brazil.
Champions Runners- Up Third Place Fourth Place Fair Play Award
Manchester United (1st title)
LDU Quito
Gamba Osaka
Pachuca
Adelaide United
Club World Cup 2008 Awards
Award Player Team
Adidas Golden Ball
Alibaba Cloud Award Wayne Rooney
Manchester United
Adidas Silver Ball Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United
Adidas Bronze Ball Damián Manso
LDU Quito
Club World Cup 2008 Qualified Teams
Team Confederation Achivement Qualification
Manchester United
UEFA Winners of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League Entering in the semi-final
LDU Quito
CONMEBOL Winners of the 2008 Copa Libertadores Entering in the semi-final
Al Ahly
CAF Winners of the 2008 CAF Champions League Entering in the quarter-final
Gamba Osaka
AFC Winners of the 2008 AFC Champions League Entering in the quarter-final
Pachuca
CONCACAF Winners of the 2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup Entering in the quarter-final
Adelaide United
AFC (host) Runners-up of the 2008 AFC Champions League Entering in the play-off for quarter-final
Waitakere United
OFC Winners of the 2007–08 OFC Champions League Entering in the play-off for quarter-final
Note: Adelaide United took the host Japan’s slot as Gamba Osaka won the 2008 AFC Champions League. As a result, the winners of the 2008 J.League Division 1, later determined to be Kashima Antlers on 6 December 2008, missed out on participating.
Play-off for quarter-final
11 December 2008 19:45, (UTC+9) | National Stadium, Tokyo
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2–1 | ![]() |
Mullen ![]() Dodd ![]() |
Seaman ![]() |
Quarter final matches
13 December 2008 13:45, (UTC+9) | National Stadium, Tokyo
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2–4 (a.e.t.) | ![]() |
Pinto ![]() Flávio ![]() |
Montes ![]() Giménez ![]() Álvarez ![]() |
14 December 2008 19:30, (UTC+9) | National Stadium, Tokyo
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0–1 | ![]() |
Yasuhito Endō ![]() |
Semi final matches
17 December 2008 19:30, (UTC+9) | National Stadium, Tokyo
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0–2 | ![]() |
Bieler ![]() Bolaños ![]() |
18 December 2008 19:30, (UTC+9) | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama
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3–5 | ![]() |
Yamazaki ![]() Endō ![]() Hashimoto ![]() |
Vidić ![]() Ronaldo ![]() Rooney ![]() Fletcher ![]() |
Fifth place match
18 December 2008 16:30, (UTC+9) | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama
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0–1 | ![]() |
Cristiano Rodrigues ![]() |
Third place match
21 December 2008 16:30, (UTC+9) | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama
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0–1 | ![]() |
Yamazaki ![]() |
Club World Cup 2008 final match
21 December 2008 19:30, (UTC+9) | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama
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0–1 | ![]() |
Rooney ![]() |
Club World Cup 2008 Top Goal scorers
Rank Player Team Goals
1 Wayne Rooney
Manchester United
3
2 Yasuhito Endō
Gamba Osaka
2
3 Christian Giménez
Pachuca
2
4 Masato Yamazaki
Gamba Osaka
2
5 Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United
1