Associations Trophy

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Associations Trophy
IFCF Associations Trophy logo.png
Region Worldwide
Teams 40 (main phase)
Champions Marthorpe City logo.png Marthorpe City FC (FVA) (1st title)

The IFCF Associations Trophy is an international club football tournament for national champions and other clubs that are eliminated before the main phase of the Champions League or Challengers Cup. It is thus regarded as the third-tier senior international club competition. The first tournament was held in the 11th cycle.

Format

The Associations Trophy includes champion clubs who did not advance to the main phase of the Champions League or Challengers Cup. Its main phase begins with a group stage of 40 clubs. If necessary to reach this number, qualifying rounds are held to reduce the numbers, or by adding teams who advanced furthest in the Challengers Cup and with the highest club coefficients.

The group stage is a round-robin with ten groups of four. The teams finishing in the top two of each group advance to the knockout stage, and are joined in the Round of 32 by twelve clubs who finished third in the group stage of the Challengers Cup.

Historical

For the first two Associations Trophy tournaments, the following teams entered:

  • Champions who did not qualify for the group phase of the Champions League or Challengers Cup
  • Losing teams in the Challengers Cup play-off round

If qualifying rounds were needed, IFCF Council would decide on byes and a format aimed at including as many national champions in the group stage as possible. In the 1st Associations Trophy, there were less than 64 teams and "lucky losers" from the Challengers Cup fourth qualifying round were randomly drawn to enter the tournament. The group stage consisted of 16 groups of four teams, with group winners and runners-up advancing to the knockout phase.

Finals

Edition Winners Score Runners-up Venue
1 Unknown club logo.svg
KS Tapaklaboh (SDG)
2–1 Bavingtor FC logo.png
Bavingtor FC (FVA)
United Park
Greater Mancodas, Poafmersia
2 Unknown club logo.svg
Brinemouth (NPH)
1–0 Turoki Tide logo.png
Turoki Tide (VIL)
Rigga Stadium
Rigga, StrayRoos Barrier Islands
3 Unknown club logo.svg
Tropicorp FC (TUR)
2–1 Unknown club logo.svg
Celtic Noviodunum (NGD)
Stade des Pacifiques
Langlois, Kelssek
4 Northern Union logo.png
Northern Union (BRE)
2–0 1896 Ebor logo.png
1896 Ebor (MYT)
Eagles' Club
Straton, Tumbra
5 Marthorpe City logo.png
Marthorpe City FC (FVA)
1–0 Unknown club logo.svg
Lokomotive Jarnstad (SVJ)
Bongali Park
Kuala Pekatanan, The Gothania Isles