TheIFFHS World's Best Club is a football award given annually since 1991 to the world's best club. The award is given by theInternational Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), the entity has also produced a monthly Club World Ranking.
The ranking takes into consideration the results of twelve months of continental and intercontinental competitions, national league matches (including play-offs) and the most important national cup (excluding points won before the round of 16).
All countries arerated at four levels based upon the national league performance—clubs in the highest level leagues receive 4 points for each match won, 2 for a draw and 0 for a defeat. Level 2 is assigned 3 pts. (win), 1.5 (draw) and 0 (lost), and so on with the next lower levels.
In continental competitions, all clubs receive the same number of points at all stages regardless of the performance level of their leagues. However, theUEFA Champions League and theCopa Libertadores yield more points thanUEFA Europa League andCopa Sudamericana, respectively. The point assignment system is still lower for theAFC,CAF,CONCACAF andOFC continental tournaments. Competitions between two continents are evaluated depending upon their importance. Competitions not organized by a continental confederation, or any intercontinental events not recognized byFIFA, are not taken into consideration.
Peñarol's South America's Best Club of the Century trophy.
In 2009, the IFFHS released the results of a statistical study series which determined the bestcontinental clubs of the 20th century.[67] The ranking did not consider the performance of the teams in national football tournaments (except in the Oceania's club ranking due to limited editions held under OFC club competitions), the performance in the intercontinental orworldwide club competitions or those submitted in the IFFHS Club World Ranking, available since 1991.[68]
Based on this study, which assigned aweighted score criteria applied for each competition analysed, the below six clubs were named as "continental clubs of the century" by the IFFHS between 10 September and 13 October 2009. These clubs were awarded with a golden trophy and a certificate during theWorld Football Gala celebrated atFulham, London, on 11 May 2010.[69][70][71]