Football United

During the year 2004 there was no outstanding team worldwide. The top of the Club World Ranking was very crowded indeed. Not since 1991 has a winner for the year had so few points as in 2004 and it was only the 2nd time (after 2003) that the year's winner of the Club World Ranking had fewer than 300 points. The Valencia CF follows FC Barcelona (1997) and Real Madrid CF (2000 & 2002) as the third Spanish club to win the Club World Ranking. Valencia had won the Spanish championship and UEFA Cup in 2004.

Had CA Boca Juniors achieved one more draw and a win instead two defeats in the Argentinean Primera División, the team from Buenos Aires would have been first in the Club World Ranking 2004. In 2004 Boca Juniors reached the finals of the "Copa Libertadores" and "Copa Sudamericana". And FA Cup winners Manchester United had a chance to the very end of becoming top in the Club World Ranking. - a win in the last match of the Champion's League in Istanbul would be enough for an outright victory.

In spite this there is not much movement among the top teams. Eight clubs from 2003 are again among the "Top ten" in 2004, only Valencia leapt from 25th place to 1st and AS de Monaco from 31st to 8th. In comparison with 2003, Werder Bremen improved from 98th place to 15th and is the best-placed German team in the Club World Ranking. The winner of the "Copa Libertadores", CD Once Caldas Manizalez, improved from 197th place to 24th, Lille OSC from 379th to 34th, Fenerbahçe Istanbul from 365th to 49th and Middlesbrough FC from 304th to 50th. The Spanish Cupwinner Real Zaragoza achieved a sensational improvement (777th place to 23rd) compared to 2003 and SE Palmeiras São Paulo, promoted again, made a fantastic leap from 1232nd place to 85th.

Source: iffhs.de