Is Internacional the Best Soccer Club?

South American club champion SC Internacional President Fernando Chagas Carvalho Neto is tossed into the air by the team members and officials in celebration after the Brazilian team defeated over the European champion FC Barcelona during the final of Club World Cup soccer in Yokohama near Tokyo Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006. With Adriano's only goal SC Internacional defeated FC Barcelona of Spain 1-0. (AP Photo/Tomohiko Suzui) (Tomohiko Suzui - AP)

LONDON -- Internacional won the Club World Cup, earning the unofficial title of the best team in soccer. Hardly.

The Brazilian team was one of six competing in the FIFA tournament in Japan, advancing to the semifinals automatically along with European champion FC Barcelona.

After dispensing Egypt's Al Ahly in the last four, the Copa Libertadores champions moved on to the weekend final and a game against Barcelona. The Spanish champions topped Mexican team America in the semifinals.

The competition, formerly known as the Intercontinental Cup or the Toyota Cup, used to be between the South American and European champions. It expanded to include the four other continental champions in 2005.

Barcelona brought most of its top team to Yokohama, including Ronaldinho, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and Victor Valdes. But strikers Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi missed the game with injuries, and it remains unclear how much the players on the field really wanted to win.

"The surprise would have been if Barcelona would have won," former Barcelona coach and Netherlands great Johan Cruyff said.

Cruyff coached the team in 1992 when it made its only other appearance in the competition, losing to Sao Paulo.

Inter won Sunday's game with an 82nd-minute goal from Adriano _ not the Adriano who plays for Brazil's national team and Inter Milan.

In the old days, it would have been the other Adriano _ still playing at home _ and the title would have meant more.

Santos, another Brazilian team, won back-to-back titles in 1962-63 when Pele led the team over Benfica and AC Milan. If Pele had played Sunday, chances are he would have been wearing the colors of Barcelona.

Other famous South Americans including Carlos Bilardo and Zico also helped their teams win the title. Bilardo, who reached the final in three straight years from 1968-70 with Estudiantes, won one title and lost two others. He later led Argentina to its second World Cup title as coach in 1986.

Nowadays, all the top South American players are lining up alongside the best of Europe _ in Europe _ with the stars from Africa and Asia as well.