Saudi Arabia crowned first-ever champions of FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League
The first-ever FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League concluded with Saudi Arabia being crowned world champions after four days of intense competition from December 5 to 8.
The first-ever FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League concluded with Saudi Arabia being crowned world champions after four days of intense competition from December 5 to 8.
As players represented their national teams for the first time on the Rocket League scene, Saudi Arabia triumphed over France in a fiercely contested final to claim the prestigious FIFAe World Cup title and lift the trophy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia players celebrating a goal. Image | FIFA Media
The winning team, consisting of Rw9, Kiileerrz, trk511 and d7oom-24, demonstrated incredible skill, teamwork and resilience throughout this historic tournament. Their journey to the top saw them overcome some of the world’s best players and national teams, representing Saudi Arabia with pride on the global stage.
France with the runners-up prize money. Image | FIFA Media
With 16 nations competing in this inaugural edition, Rocket League fans were treated to some electrifying matches across the group stage and through to the final at the spectacular Saudi Esports Federation Arena at Boulevard City. The event was live-streamed across a variety of channels, including by co-streamers from around the globe. All detailed results and more information are available on FIFA.GG.
The FIFAe Finals 2024 are a milestone event for football esports, with multiple titles featuring under the FIFAe banner for the first time. As one of the most popular esports titles globally, Rocket League’s inclusion in FIFAe marked a new chapter in the convergence of traditional sports and esports. During the course of the event, a total of USD 450,000 will be distributed in prize money across the three FIFAe World Cup tournaments.
As the champions of the first competition celebrate, fans can look forward to more exciting action at the FIFAe World Cups featuring eFootball on mobile and console from 9 to 12 December.
Note: This content has been created from a press release by FIFA Media.
Dembele became the 10th player to achieve the feat.
Football is the most popular sport in the world, as nearly every country participates in the sport. As a global sport, it can be extremely challenging to make it big in football, largely due to intense competition. And, if you are talking about winning the three biggest trophies in world football, it is a rare incident.
However, with some geniuses on the field, we have seen some remarkable football facts happening over the years. So, it gives us a chance to take a look at those players with great achievements and football facts. Today, we will take a look at those players who won the Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or.
UFA Champions League
The Champions League is the biggest club tournament in Europe. Also, it is considered the best club football tournament in the world. The top clubs from the top-tier national leagues participate in this tournament.
The competition started in 1955, and since then, Real Madrid has been the most successful club in the tournament. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most successful player in the Champions League with 134 goals in the tournament.
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest international tournament in the world. 32 qualified countries compete with each other for the biggest prize in international football. Brazil is the most successful team in the World Cup with 5 titles.
Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose is the top scorer in the Football World Cup with 16 goals to his name.
Ballon d'Or
Ballon d'Or is the biggest individual prize in football. The award is given to the best player in the world for a single season. The award has been given to the players since 1956 and is the most prestigious individual award in football history.
However, from 2011-2015, the award was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year. Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d'Or awards (8) than any other player in football history.
Football Facts: Players with Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or
Ousame Dembele is the latest player to have won FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or in his career.
As you already got the idea of how big these three trophies are in the football world, you can imagine how tough it can be to win all of them in a career.
There are only 9 players who have won Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or in their career. Let's find them out in this special football facts segment.
#1 Sir Bobby Charlton
The England legend was the first player to achieve the feat of winning all the big trophies in football.
Booby Charlton spent 17 years at Manchester United when the club became one of the biggest football clubs in England. Charlton scored 115 goals in his club career before retiring in 1979.
Sir Bobby Charlton won the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and was adjudged the best player in the world, too.
He won the 1966 Ballon d'Or award. Charlton had scored 3 goals in that World Cup and had some major contributions to the team. He went on to win the European Cup/Champions League with Manchester United in 1968.
Nicknamed as the "Der Kiser (The Emperor)", Beckenbauer is the second player on our list of these special football facts.
The German was a defender known for his leadership skills and elegant football. The Bayern Munich legend won the Ballon d'Or award twice in 1972 and 1976.
Beckenbauer also managed to win three Champions League titles, which was called the European Champions' Cup. He won it with Bayern Munich in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
But the major success in his career came in 1974 when he won the FIFA World Cup. That was West Germany's second FIFA World Cup title.
Gerd Müller is regarded as one of the greatest football players in the history of the game. He has the most goals per match ratio (0.95) in the Champions League history.
The centre forward from Germany won 1 Ballon d'Or, 3 Champions League and 1 FIFA World Cup. Actually, it was his 15 years at Bayern Munich that made him the legend that he is.
Müller was a teammate of Beckenbauer, who won the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In fact, along with Beckenbauer, he played a major role in Bayern Munich winning the Champions League in three consecutive years in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
However, Müller won the Ballon d'Or only once in the year 1970.
#4 Paolo Rossi
The centre forward from Italy won it all when it comes to football. With 133 goals in his club career, he was one of the best of his time. The 1980s were a successful decade for him.
Rossi won the FIFA World Cup in 1982, and that made him earn the Ballon d'Or award as well. He was the top scorer of the 1982 FIFA World Cup with 6 goals.
Then the Italian legend went on to win the 1984/85 Champions League with Juventus FC. However, Rossi had nearly 11 transfers in his club career, which is quite astonishing as well.
The France international might be the most influential player in his country's recent football history. Zidane was known for his style of play, skills and control on the ball and goal-scoring ability.
The Juventus and Real Madrid legend managed to win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and then went on to win the 1998 Ballon d'Or as well.
Zidane won the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. It was also the only Champions League he won in his career. However, the 2006 FIFA World Cup incident ended his international career infamously.
Rivaldo, the former Brazilian captain, had everything that a captain should have. Moreover, when you are representing the rich football history of Brazilian football, either you soak the pressure or you rise above it.
The Brazilian forward has 35 international goals in his career. Also, he has scored 233 goals in his club career as well. Rivaldo won the 1999 Ballon d'Or following Zidane's success in 1998.
Rivaldo won the FIFA World Cup in 2002 as a captain in Japan. Then, he went on to win the UEFA Champions League in the 2002-03 season with AC Milan as well, and this is how Rivaldo became the 6th player on our football facts list.
Ronaldinho is probably the most skilful player of this generation. If it were not for his lifestyle, he might have been the best to play the game. With his vision and dribbling skills, he was loved by everyone in the football world.
With 197 goals, Ronaldinho is one of the most successful midfielders of the last 20 years. His bonding with Kaka and his contribution to Messi's early career is still a beautiful football story.
Ronaldinho won the 2002 FIFA World Cup along with Rivaldo and Kaka. Then he went on to win the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and the UEFA Champions League in the 2005/06 season with Barcelona.
It is not astonishing to see that the most recent players to win the Champions League, World Cup, and Ballon d'Or are from Brazil. This is how good the Brazil team was at that time.
Along with Rivaldo and Rolandinho, Kaka won the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Then, while playing for AC Milan, he won everything in football. In 2007, he won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan, and then he went on to win the Ballon d'Or also in the same year.
In addition to that, Kaka became the highest-paid footballer in the world after AC Milan extended their contract for nearly $12 million.
9. Lionel Messi
Probably the greatest player in football history and the most successful one ever, with 46 trophies, Lionel Messi was the ninth player to achieve the feat of winning the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or.
Messi, the Argentine genius, won the Ballon d'Or award a record 8 times in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
While playing for FC Barcelona, Messi won the UEFA Champions League four times in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015. And then he went on to complete the circle with the triumph in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
10. Ousmane Dembele
France and PSG right winger Ousmane Dembele became the 10th player in the history of football to achieve the feat of winning the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or.
28-year-old Dembele, who had already won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France, helped Paris St. Germain (PSG) win their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in 2025.
His incredible league stats and success with PSG in the Champions League also helped him bag the 2025 Ballon d'Or award as well.
Note: The article was first written in 2021 by Koushik Biswas and then got updated by Barnali Debnath on 23 September 2025.
Till now, along with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, fifteen other teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Tunisia, Colombia, and Morocco were the latest teams to qualify for the event.
The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.
In 2022, the FIFA World Cupprovided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. LionelMessi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.
The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32,
The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.
Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats
Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.
Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs,South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.
Teams That Have Qualified
With qualifications still ongoing, the only nations that have qualified are the host nations, namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then, teams will be struggling to qualify.
1. The USA
Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.
The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.
Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.
Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.
Teams from the Qualifier Rounds
4. Japan
Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.
New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.
Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.
For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.
6. Iran
(Image Credit | AFP)
Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.
Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the Group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.
Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌 Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷 This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa
— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025
Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.
In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.
7. Argentina
(Image Credit | EPA)
The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26.
La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the required seven points at this point.
8. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the 8th team to qualify till now. They have qualified in virtue of finishing in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.
This is the first time they have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Not only that, they are the first Central Asia country to qualify for the grandest stage of football.
South Korea qualified for their 11th straight FIFA World Cup after finishing in the top two of the AFC third round qualifiers. Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in all will be ready to star for South Korea in the upcoming World Cup.
Ali Olwan scored a hat-trick against Oman to take Jordan to their maiden FIFA World Cup
While South Korea sealed their spot at the FIFA World Cup with that 2-0 victory over Iraq, their win also ensured that Jordan will be playing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup next year.
Ali Olwan's hat-trick has given them a big 3-0 win over Oman, and after South Korea's win, they will now create history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In Group B of the AFC Third round qualifiers, Jordan lost only one match and finished in the top two of the group, below South Korea.
Socceroos confirmed their place at a sixth successive FIFA World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia by 2-1 in Saudi Arabia. Connor Metcalfe (42), Mitch Duke (48) scored for the Aussies to help them win after falling behind by a 19-minute goal from Abdulrahman Al-Aboud.
Australia have now confirmed the top spot in Group C in the AFC Third round qualifiers. Japan are leading Group C, which have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Brazil continued their run at the FIFA World Cup after ensuring qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are the only team to qualify for every FIFA World Cup.
The Selecao defeated Paraguay by 1-0 as Vinicius Jr. handed a special gift to new Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti for his 66th birthday.
VINIIII JR.!!!!
TINHAA QUE SER ELE!! BELO PRESENTÃO DE ANIVERSÁRIO PARA O MISTER 🇧🇷🇧🇷
Paraguay became the 14th team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their 0-0 draw against Ecuador on 4 September. This will be their first FIFA World Cup qualification since 2010.
PARAGUAY 🇵🇾 ARE GOING TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 🏆
They will be playing the FIFA World Cup first time since 2010!
With their 3-0 win over Peru on September 4, Uruguay reached a fifth successive World Cup. Rodrigo Aguirre, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and Federico Vinas scored the goals for the South American nation.
16. Colombia
With their 3-0 victory over Bolivia on September 4, Colombia qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after missing out on the previous edition. James Rodriguez became the first Colombian player to score 30 international goals after Falcao (36).
Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their thumping 5-0 victory over Niger.
With 21 points from seven games, they have earned a place in the showpiece.
18. Tunisia
The Carthage Eagles qualified for their seventh FIFA World Cup as they sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea. A stoppage-time winner from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane helped the North African nation to top Group H of the African Qualifiers with 22 points after 8 matches.
How can Indian Women's Football team qualify for the 2027 FIFA World Cup?
Good news for India! With the recent qualification for the AFC Asian Cup, the dream is alive for the Indian women's football team. How can Indian women's football team qualify for the 2027 FIFA World Cup? Explore their path and details here.
The ultimate dream for any footballing nation is to compete on the biggest stage like the World Cup, and for Indian women's football team, the dream feels closer now.
On July 5, 2025, India secured AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification with a 2-1 victory over Thailand. The sensational midfielder from Bengal, Sangita Basfore scored both the goals to seal this historic win for the nation!
This crucial win, added to their strong performances againsy Mongolia, Timor-Leste, and Iraq, marked their return to the Asian Cup after 22 years. This success has now fueled the high hopes and big dream of reaching the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Now the question is: How can Indian Women's Football team qualify for the 2027 FIFA World Cup? Let's explore the details below.
The AFC Women's Asian Cup. Image | Hindustan Times
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the regional body for football in Asia, operating under FIFA. Crucially, the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 isn't just a continental championship; it's Asia's direct qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
For 2027, Asia gets six direct World Cup spots and two additional play-off chances. This means performing well in this tournament is absolutely vital for India's World Cup dreams.
They will have to fight for the World Cup spot against 11 nations (7 other qualifying nations from 2025, the host Australia, and the top 3 teams from the previous 2022 edition).
Teams qualified alongside India in 2025 Asian Cup qualifiers:
India's qualification roadmap for the 2027 FIFA World Cup
Winning moments from the decisive match against Thailand in Asian Cup qualifiers. Image | X
To reach the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, India's performance at the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 is everything.
Here's how they can make it possible:
Reach the semi-finals: This is the clearest path for qualification as all four semi-finalists in the Asian Cup will automatically be eligible to qualify for WC.
In case they don't reach semi-finals: If India reaches the quarter-finals but loses, there's still a chance. The losing teams will play additional matches against each other for the remaining two direct World Cup spots and the two play-off berths.
In short, India must aim to be among the top six teams in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 to have a direct shot at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
US President Donald Trump has made a claim that the FIFA 2026 World Cup could help end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and shut down the war. The Russian national football team has been banned from international competition by FIFA and UEFA since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump, during his 2024 campaign, vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war on the first day back in. But his efforts to broker a deal between the countries have so far stuttered.
Trump was questioned about the possible participation of Russia at next year's World Cup. Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the meeting, Trump admitted he was unaware that Russia are banned from the 2026 World Cup.
During the meeting at the White House, a reporter asked the president for his stance on the ban, which was part of global sporting sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump said, "I didn't know that, is that right? You want to explain that?"
"That is right," replied Infantino. "They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted."
Trump on Russia-Ukraine war
The United States are hosting the World Cup next year along with Canada and Mexico but Russia are currently banned by both FIFA and UEFA from participating in international competitions due to their invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has now said that reinstating Russia for the tournament could help end the war in Ukraine, feeling that it ‘could be a good incentive’ for Putin.
"That's possible. Hey, could be a good incentive, right?" Trump replied to Infantino.
"We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. 5,000 people a week are being killed -- it's not even believable. We're going to get that war stopped."
Russia haven't played a competitive fixture since a 2022 World Cup qualifying defeat to Croatia in November 2021. They have played 16 friendlies since then, winning 11 of them.
Club Leon gaffer slams FIFA and Gianni Infantino over Club World Cup exclusion
Club Leon head coach Eduardo Berizzo has slammed FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the organization over the club's controversial exclusion from the 2025 Club World Cup.
Club Leon head coach Eduardo Berizzo (Image Credit | Getty images)
Club Leon boss Eduardo Berizzo has come out and slammed FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino over his team being omitted from the 2025 Club World Cup due to rules regarding multiple-club ownership.
“La FIFA ya prepara reemplazantes en vez de esperar a la decisión del TAS”
In March, FIFA decided that Leon were not qualified to play in the first 32-team competition after they failed to match FIFA's multi-club ownership requirements, and Infantino has since donated their place in a playoff game between Club America and Los Angeles FC.
But the Mexican club has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and, at a news conference, Berizzo had some strong words against the decision.
Club Leon's head coach, Eduardo Berizzo, discussed how the decision has affected the team's performance after the club lost to Cruz Azul. He stated:
The FIFA President cannot comment on a supposed replacement without waiting for the ruling. I think his words carry significant weight and he shouldn’t have commented; he should have remained neutral until the CAS ruling.
The rules of competition of the 2025 Club World Cup declared that clubs owned by the same legal entity cannot compete. FIFA decided that Leon and the other Mexican clubs competing in the tournament belonged to the same ownership structure, but Berizzo has criticized FIFA for the lack of transparency. He said:
If the world were the way I wanted it to be, people like that wouldn’t lead organisations like this. FIFA must demonstrate that it is an organisation of integrity, and it isn’t. In the past, it hasn’t been."
Not only with our elimination, but with all this, which involves a fix, a hidden interest to see which team goes, who doesn’t , why teams go, why others leave or why you get eliminated. As long as there’s no clarity or transparency about that, they’ll always remain suspects."
We live in a football world, in organisations and institutions that, instead of representing transparency and setting an example for all citizens, increasingly make us suspicious and make us feel small in the face of what’s happening."
In a football world where everyone should feel supported, a part of, and proud to be a part of, sometimes you feel like running away.
(Image Source | X)
The Leon boss also targeted his country's national association, the Mexican Football Federation. Berizzo claimed:
You feel treated unfairly; you feel part of a football system governed by individuals who work for subterranean interests that make decisions. It's very striking that the Mexican Football Federation hasn't said a word about this issue.
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