2008 FIFA Club World Cup

Also known as FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008

2008 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup

Key facts

Host country: Japan
Dates: 11–21 December
Teams: 7 (from 6 confederations)
Venue: 3 (in 3 host cities)
Champions: Manchester United (1st title)
Runners up: LDU Quito
Third place: Gamba Osaka
Fourth place: Pachuca
Goals scored: 23 (2.88 per match)
Attendance: 355,515 (44,439 per match)
Top scorer s: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), 3 goals
Best player: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Fair play award

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Article

The 2008 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008 presented by Toyota for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth 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, having been eliminated in the round of 16 of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. The winners of that competition, Manchester United, won the Club World Cup for the first time, beating Gamba Osaka 5–3 in the semi-finals before a 1–0 win over LDU Quito in the final at the International Stadium in Yokohama on 21 December. It was United's second world title, following the 1999 Intercontinental Cup, which was also held in Japan. It was also the first edition in which the CONMEBOL representative did not hail from either Argentina or Brazil.