| Organiser(s) | Venezuelan companies[1] |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1952 |
| Abolished | 1975; 50 years ago (1975) |
| Region | Venezuela |
| Teams | 4 |
| Last champions |  East Germany (1975) |
| Most championships |  Real Madrid São Paulo(2 titles each) |
TheSmall World Cup (Spanish:Pequeña Copa del Mundo) was afootball tournament held inVenezuela between 1952 and 1975 (with some journalists considering 1952–57 the period of greatest relevance, and the second period that took place between 1963 and 1975 as of minor relevance).[2] In most of the occasions, the competition was played by four participants from Europe and South America. In the first period,clubs from three countries would win the tournament: Spain, Brazil and Colombia. Five clubs won the trophy in this period:Real Madrid,São Paulo,Millonarios,Corinthians, andBarcelona.
When theEuropeans Champions Clubs' Cup was started in1955, the Venezuelan competition lost importance and was discontinued in 1957. Although the tournament was relaunched in 1963, its relevance decreased when theIntercontinental Cup (first held in1960) was established as the major, official intercontinental competition for both South American and European clubs.
During the 1963–75 period, the trophy was also named "Copa Ciudad de Caracas". However, there is controversy surrounding this name, as during this period there were multiple trophies and championships named Taça Ciudad de Caracas in the city. So, in 1966 Botafogo was considered the winner and competed against Santos in the grand final, winning the Trophy called Journalists Circle Cup (Copa Círculo de Pediodicos Deportivos), however Valencia also competed with Vitória Guimarães and won the Símon Bolivar trophy. Thus, the winner of the Caracas tournament that year is controversial, as the greatest relevance was the Botafogo and Santos game, where great players such as Garrincha and Pelé starred. Then, in 1967, the tournament in Caracas was between, again, the Journalists Circle Cup (Copa Círculo de Pediodicos Deportivos), where teams such as Barcelona, Botafogo and Peñarol played. And, later in the year, the so-called Copa Cuadricentenario de Caracas took place, which was played between Athletic Bilbao, Platense and Académica Coimbra, regional teams that no longer exist.
In 1968 the tournament that took place in Caracas offered the Oldemario Ramos Trophy. It was played between Benfica, Botafogo and Argentina XI., with Botafogo becoming the great champion.
This competition is considered by some journalists as a predecessor of theIntercontinental Cup, in that it regularly featured clubs from Europe and South America.[2][3] However, there is no 1952–1960 evidence indicating that it had any influence for the creation of the Intercontinental Cup, or that it was hailed in 1952–1957 as a club world trophy. Nevertheless, some clubs like Real Madrid highlight this trophy in their history as a world championship in the trophy sections of their websites and publications.
| Ed. | Year | Champion | Runner-up | Tournament Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1952 | Real Madrid |  Botafogo | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
2 | 1953 (I)[note 1] |  Millonarios |  River Plate | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
3 | 1953 (II)[note 1] | Corinthians |  Roma | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
4 | 1955 | São Paulo | Valencia | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
5 | 1956 | Real Madrid | Vasco da Gama | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
6 | 1957 | Barcelona | Botafogo | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
7 | 1963 |  São Paulo | Real Madrid | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
8 | 1965 |  Benfica | Atlético Madrid | Copa María Dolores Gabeka |
9 | 1966 | Valencia | Vitória Guimarães | Troféo Simón Bolívar |
10 | 1967 | Athletic Bilbao | Académica de Coimbra | Copa Cuadricentenario de Caracas |
11 | 1969 |  Spartak Trnava[note 2] | Deportivo La Coruña | Torneo Reyes de Caracas |
12 | 1970 | Vitória de Setúbal | Santos | Torneo Reyes de Caracas |
13 | 1975 | East Germany[note 3] | Boavista | Pequeña Copa del Mundo |
| Country | Titles |
|---|---|
| Spain | 5 |
 Brazil | 3 |
| Portugal | 2 |
| Colombia | 1 |
| Czechoslovakia | 1 |
| East Germany | 1 |
| Confederation | Winners |
|---|---|
| Europe | 9 |
| South America | 4 |
