History
The inauguration of the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1955 and the Copa Libertadores in 1960 made the European/South American Cup viable. Spanish side Real Madrid became the first club to win the cup in 1960, defeating Peñarol of Uruguay. By 1971, European participation in the Intercontinental Cup became a running question, and many European teams withdrew, namely Ajax in 1971 and 1973, Bayern Munich in 1974 and 1975, Liverpool in 1977 and 1978, and Nottingham Forest in 1979. The viability of the competition came under fire until Toyota assumed the role of sponsor for the 1980 tournament; for the remainder of the competition's history, no club declined playing in the Intercontinental Cup, and the competition always took the form of a single match held on neutral ground, in Toyota's home country Japan. The sponsor created a new trophy, the Toyota Cup, which was coupled with the original one: if the Intercontinental Cup was give to winners' captain, the Toyota Cup was given to the vice-captain.
This cup was played for the last time in 2004 and replaced by the FIFA Club World Cup.
Read more about this topic: Intercontinental Cup (football)
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