The Unofficial Football World Championships (UFWC) is an informal way of calculating the world's best international association football team, using a knock-out title system similar to that used in professional boxing. The UFWC was formalized and published by English journalist Paul Brown in 2003. The title is currently held by Argentina, who won it from Croatia on 13 December 2022. Background The idea stemmed originally from some Scotland fans and sections of the media jokingly asserting that as they beat England (who had won the 1966 World Cup) in a British Home Championship match on 15 April 1967—England's first loss after their FIFA World Cup victory—they were the "Unofficial World Champions". In 2003, freelance journalist Paul Brown defined the rules of the UFWC, traced its lineage and wrote an article in football magazine FourFourTwo. In 2011, Brown authored a book on the subject. Brown also created the championship's website which tracks its progression. The Unofficial Football World Championships is not sanctioned by FIFA, nor does it have any sort of official backing. The winner is awarded a virtual trophy—the C.W. Alcock Cup, named after him as he was a major instigator in the development of international football in his role as FA secretary. Rules The first team to win an international football match were declared first ever Unofficial Football World Champions. This was England, who defeated Scotland 4–2 in 1873 in the second full international match, the first in 1872 having been a 0–0 draw between the same two nations. The next full international (international 'A' match) involving the title holder is considered a title match, with the winners taking the title. In the event of a title match being a draw, the current holders of the title remain champions. UFWC title matches are decided by their ultimate outcome, including extra time and penalties. Title matches are contested under the rules of the governing body by which they are sanctioned. Tracking the Championship While the Unofficial Football World Championship was invented in 2003, the rules are such that results are analysed retrospectively to determine the theoretical lineage of champions from the very first international matches. A comprehensive list of results of all championship games is maintained on the UFWC website. Early international football The first ever FIFA-recognised international match was a 0–0 draw between England and Scotland, on 30 November 1872 at Hamilton Crescent. The Unofficial World Championship thus remained