FIFA Club World Cup: Paul Scholes once said his local badminton trophy meant more

Chelsea are aiming to become only the third English team to win the FIFA Club World Cup.

Manchester United first won the tournament back in 2008, defeating Ecuadorian outfit LDU Quito in the final, while Liverpool lifted the trophy in 2019 with victory over Brazilian side Flamengo.

Chelsea take on Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal on Wednesday in the semi-finals. Win that and they’ll face South American champions Palmeiras in this weekend’s final, which takes place at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Among the relatively small group of English players to have a FIFA Club World Cup winners’ medal in his collection is Man Utd hero Paul Scholes.

The legendary English midfielder won a host of major honours during his glittering career at Old Trafford including 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and, as mentioned, the FIFA Club World Cup.

A second-half goal from Wayne Rooney in Yokohama earned United a 1-0 win over LDU Quito back in December 2008.

However, in an amusing interview with BBC 5 Live Sport after Liverpool’s triumph in 2019, Scholes insisted that his local badminton trophy – yes, really – means more to him that his FIFA Club World Cup winners’ medal.

Asked how much the FIFA Club World Cup meant to him as a player, Scholes said: “Ummm… Well you want to win it once you’re there but I don’t think it was ever something that we were desperate to win. Even now if someone said to you ‘what trophies did you win over the years?’ I don’t think we’d mention the World Cup Championship, I really don’t.

“I’m not joking! I’m serious!

“But you know what, it’s like anything else. It might take more importance over the years. It looks like Liverpool have enjoyed it, celebrated it and will probably mention