World Champion

World Champion is a title that can be given to a contesting team/individual/organisation in a sport or other competitive endeavour. To become a "world champion" it is usual for the contestant to have entered, and won, a competition open to all eligible contestants from around the world.

Other individuals or organisations can be described as 'world champion', but this is either simply a matter of recognition of their prowess or promotional hyperbole, without conferring any real status.

Examples of World Champions

* Winners of the football (soccer) FIFA World Cup.
* Winners of the American Football World Cup.
* Winner of the World Snooker Championship

Disputed World Champions

Multiple awarding bodies

The existence of other similar competitions, administrated by other organisations, can give rise to confusion over which has the right to declare the world champion. But this is usually resolved by adding a modifier to the title identifying the organisation awarding it.

Examples

* International boxing's many organisations, including the WBA, WBC and WBO.
* Brewers Association's World Beer Cup [http://www.beertown.org/events/wbc/index.html World Beer Cup] and the Brewing Industry International Awards [http://www.brewingawards.org/ Brewing Industry International Awards]

National competitions

Controversy can arise when a national competition results in the winner being awarded the title "World Champion", without any entrants from other countries. This can happen when the national competition operates on the assumption, sometimes mistaken, that there are no interested contestants of suitable quality in other countries. The national champion is therefore, by default, also the world champion. Parties in other countries can take exception to this and accuse the hosting national organisation of over-reaching themselves.

Examples

* Winners of Baseball's World Series.

Insignificant competitions

It is possible for anyone to become 'world champion' if the scope of the competition is narrow enough or lacks any publicity and interest world-wide. 'World champions' of this type are, however, usually treated either humorously, or with ridicule.

Examples

* Winners of the World Snail Racing Championships

References