Welcome to the Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC)!
The Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC) is an international football competition contested in a simple boxing-style title system. An alternative to the World Cup, Winners of UFWC title matches become title-holders, and Unofficial Football World Champions, and move up the rankings table, contesting the title at their next International match and so on... UFWC lineage stretches back to the very first international football match in 1872, 58 years before the World Cup.
Content you might like ...
- Classics: Matches over the Years | UFWC at the World Cup | Top Goal Scorers in the UFWC
- Features: Biggest Ever Match Wins
- Title Contest Previews and Match Reports
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What Now?
Learn more about UFWC, buy the UFWC Book on Amazon, view the all-time Rankings, previous results or see who will contest the Next UFWC Title Match.
If you would like to contribute to the UFWC, then please get in touch.
Current UFWC Champions
IVORY COAST | SINCE 26/03/2024 | DEFEATED URUGUAY | title win #1 |
Next UFWC Title Match
#1019 | tbd | 🇨🇮 | Ivory Coast | VS | Gabon | 🇬🇦 | 3 June 2024 | tbd |
History Spotlight
Germany: a UFWC history
As undisputed official FIFA and unofficial UFWC champions, France are on top of the football world. But next UFWC challengers Germany also have impressive FIFA and UFWC form. Like France, Germany have been undisputed champions on three occasions. They have won two more title matches than France and are ranked 7th in the all-time UFWC rankings. Ahead of the France v Germany match, let's look back at the challengers’ record in the Unofficial Football World Championships.
Read moreWales: a UFWC history
It has been 32 years since Wales were crowned Unofficial Football World Champions last time and tonight (20/06/2021) "Cymru" will have the next chance to conquer the Unofficial World Championship Crown - enough reasons for our guest author Paul Godding to dive into Wales' exciting UFWC history!
Read moreLatest UFWC Results
# | DATE | HOME | SCORE | AWAY | VENUE | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1018 | 26/03/2024 | 🇨🇮 | Ivory Coast | 2-1 | Uruguay | 🇺🇾 | LENS | FR | + |
1017 | 21/11/2023 | 🇺🇾 | URUGUAY | 3-0 | Bolivia | 🇧🇴 | MONTEVIDEO | WQ | + |
1016 | 16/11/2023 | 🇦🇷 | ARGENTINA | 0-2 | URUGUAY | 🇺🇾 | BUENOS AIRES | WQ | + |
1015 | 17/10/2023 | 🇵🇪 | PERU | 0-2 | ARGENTINA | 🇦🇷 | LIMA | WQ | + |
1014 | 12/10/2023 | 🇦🇷 | ARGENTINA | 1-0 | PARAGUAY | 🇵🇾 | BUENOS AIRES | WQ | + |
1013 | 12/09/2023 | 🇧🇴 | BOLIVIA | 0-3 | ARGENTINA | 🇦🇷 | LA PAZ | WQ | + |
1012 | 07/09/2023 | 🇦🇷 | ARGENTINA | 1-0 | ECUADOR | 🇪🇨 | BUENOS AIRES | WQ | + |
1011 | 19/06/2023 | 🇮🇩 | INDONESIA | 0-2 | ARGENTINA | 🇦🇷 | JAKARTA | FR | + |
1010 | 15/06/2023 | 🇦🇷 | ARGENTINA | 2-0 | AUSTRALIA | 🇦🇺 | BEIJING | FR | + |
1009 | 28/03/2023 | 🇦🇷 | ARGENTINA | 7-0 | Curaçao | 🇨🇼 | SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO | FR | + |
1008 | 23/03/2023 | 🇦🇷 | ARGENTINA | 2-0 | Panama | 🇵🇦 | BUENOS AIRES | FR | + |
* = won on penalties. + = click for match report.
Current Rankings
Rank | Flag | Team | Played | Won | Last Held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 🏴 | Scotland | 149 | 86 | 28-Mar-2007 |
2 | 🏴 | England | 146 | 73 | 20-Jun-2000 |
3 | 🇦🇷 | Argentina | 116 | 73 | CURRENT |
4 | 🇳🇱 | Netherlands | 96 | 58 | 07-Sep-2020 |
5 | 🇮🇹 | Italy | 79 | 45 | 06-Oct-2021 |
6 | 🇷🇺 | Russia | 64 | 41 | 23-Feb-2000 |
7 | 🇧🇷 | Brazil | 72 | 38 | 17-Jun-2015 |
8 | 🇫🇷 | France | 67 | 33 | 03-Jun-2022 |
9 | 🇩🇪 | Germany | 69 | 31 | 06-Sep-2019 |
10 | 🇸🇪 | Sweden | 46 | 28 | 06-Feb-2013 |
11 | 🇺🇾 | Uruguay | 67 | 27 | 15-Nov-2016 |
12 | 🇨🇱 | Chile | 49 | 21 | 24-Mar-2017 |
Classic Matches from Days Gone By
France vs Spain 1984
France Vs Spain 1984 | Classic Matches
France Vs Spain 1984 | Classic Matches
Scotland vs England 1872
UFWC Classic Scotland Vs England 1872 | Classic Matches
UFWC Classic Scotland Vs England 1872 | Classic Matches
World Cup Classics: West Germany vs Argentina, 1986
Tumultuous earthquakes killed 20,000 people in Mexico in the run-up to the 1986 World Cup tournament, but the magnificent Azteca remained standing, and the football went ahead. West Germany took the UFWC title into the tournament, but lost it to Denmark in the opening round. The title was then passed to Spain, then Belgium, and then Argentina over the course of a week. Argentina reached the final largely courtesy of Diego Maradona’s brilliance and cheek, famously seeing off England in the quarter-finals with an assist from the ‘hand of god’, and then beating Belgium in the semis. West Germany got a chance to regain the World Cup and the UFWC after beating hosts Mexico on penalties, and then knocking out an excellent French team with a 2-0 win.
Tumultuous earthquakes killed 20,000 people in Mexico in the run-up to the 1986 World Cup tournament, but the magnificent Azteca remained standing, and the football went ahead. West Germany took the UFWC title into the tournament, but lost it to Denmark in the opening round. The title was then passed to Spain, then Belgium, and then Argentina over the course of a week. Argentina reached the final largely courtesy of Diego Maradona’s brilliance and cheek, famously seeing off England in the quarter-finals with an assist from the ‘hand of god’, and then beating Belgium in the semis. West Germany got a chance to regain the World Cup and the UFWC after beating hosts Mexico on penalties, and then knocking out an excellent French team with a 2-0 win.
England vs Germany 2000
Classic Matches England Vs Germany 2000 | Classic Matches
Classic Matches England Vs Germany 2000 | Classic Matches
Features
UFWC Top 50 Goals Part 1: 1948-1979
Many of the UFWC goals scored in the past 65 years or so can be viewed online. Watching the goals provides further proof of the brilliance of the UFWC – the competition has provided more than its fair share of special goals. I have chosen my favourite 50 goals from those I have seen, in chronological order, with my top ten highlighted along the way. Some of these goals are famous; however, many are not, and they are a treat for all UFWC fans. The numbers in brackets after the description correspond to the approximate time in the video that the goal appears – in each case start a few seconds earlier to enjoy the goal in all its glory.
Read moreThe Smallest Countries to Win (and try to win) the UFWC
As yesterday little San Marino and giants Italy met in the latest UFWC contest, our guest author <strong><a href="https://www.ufwc.co.uk/author/jonnyblair/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.ufwc.co.uk/author/jonnyblair/">Jonny Blair</a></strong> took some time (and effort!) to reflect on some relatively “smaller” countries who have contested, and even won the UFWC down the years! Did you know that more countries have been UFWC champions than World Cup winners? And it’s by 40. Officially, 9 geographical countries have won the FIFA World Cup. 49 FIFA recognised countries have won the UFWC.
Read moreUnofficial Football World Championships vs the World Cup
We love the World Cup here at the UFWC, and are excitedly looking forward to Brazil 2014, which starts in just two months' time. To add to the excitement, there's a good chance that the Unofficial Football World Championships title will be contested at the World Cup tournament. Current UFWC champions Uruguay are on course to take the title to Brazil, although they have a couple of tricky title matches to negotiate first. If the UFWC title does go to Brazil, it won't be the first time the unofficial and official tournaments have crossed over. The UFWC and World Cup lineages are very different, but they have come together several times during football's long and entertaining history.
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