The Club World Cup undoubtedly has its flaws, but as the competition ends its long association with Japan to set up home in Morocco for the next two years, the Japanese game would do well to consider what it is losing.

Brazilian side Corinthians beat Chelsea 1-0 in Yokohama on Sunday to claim the world title for the second time, bringing the curtain down on the latest edition of a tournament that continues to divide opinion around the globe. South America regards the trophy as the ultimate prize while Europe looks upon it as little more than a curiosity, but given the balance of power that exists in the world game, it is easy to see why the competition struggles for legitimacy.

Europe's money and concentration of talent means it is the Champions League that provides the true barometer of a club's global standing, and any attempt to put the rest of the world on an equal footing is clearly flawed from the outset. The Club World Cup's unbalanced field means games can suffer from embarrassing mismatches and wild lurches in quality, and the fact that only one team from outside of Europe and South America has reached the final in seven years only reinforces the image of a tournament going through the motions.