The Independent Associations Championship (IAC), also known as the Independents Cup, is an association football tournament open to nations outside of the "Big Four" sporting regions of Atlantian Oceania, Rushmore, Esportiva and Anaia. Created to allow nations outside then-"Big Three" additional opportunities to compete for silverware during the World Cup off-season, the tournament is usually considered equivalent to the regional championships and generally occurs during the same timeframe.
HUElavia , Schottia and Poafmersia are the most successful teams in the tournament. Schottia has played in the first three finals and Poafmersia contested the 10th and 11th finals, while HUElavia have contested the most finals, namely seven. The current champions are Squidroidia, who defeated Trolleborg 1-0 in the Independent Associations Championship 17 Final.
Name
The tournament has officially gone by two very different names over the course of its history: "Independent Associations Championship" and "Independents Cup". The mixed use of these two names has been a source of confusion that culminated in the ninth edition of the tournament erroneously being called the "Independent Associations Cup", a mistake that has since slipped into common usage.
Format
The format varies depending on the number of participating teams, but has always included a round-robin group stage, followed by a knockout stage. The KPB ranking system is used to seed the draw for the group stage, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout stage, with the addition of a select number of third-place teams depending on the number of groups.
Championship history
| Edition
|
Host(s)
|
Final
|
Third-place match
|
Number of teams
|
| Champions
|
Score and venue
|
Runners-up
|
Third place
|
Score and venue
|
Fourth place
|
| IAC 1
|
 Boreal Islands
|
Schottia
|
4–1
Stadion Taxhavn, St. Bernadine
|
Veldgouwen
|
Abanhfleft
|
2–1
St. Tara Field, Hill o’ Tara
|
Barunia
|
24
|
| IAC 2
|
 Schottia
 Mercedini
|
Bonesea
|
2–1
Harbour Hill Stadium, Handon
|
Schottia
|
Mercedini
|
3–1
Zoloroni Sports City Stadium, Zoloroni
|
Flardania
|
32
|
| IAC 3
|
 Spaam
 Kel Assuk
|
Schottia
|
2–1
Paatukar National Stadium, Paatukar
|
Mercedini
|
Aggrey-Fynn Land
|
2–1
Queen Dihya Sports Complex, Marandet
|
Bojikstan
|
32
|
| IAC 4
|
Schottia
|
Free Republics
|
3–1
Harbour Hill Stadium, Handon
|
Drawkland
|
Mercedini
|
4–3 aet
Lochend Stadium, Lochend
|
Alpine Union
|
28
|
| IAC 5
|
 Free Republics
|
Mercedini
|
3–1
Olympic Stadium, Baseton
|
Drawkland
|
Free Republics
|
3–2 aet
AllMartDome, Reco
|
North Prarie
|
40
|
| IAC 6
|
Mercedini
|
Drawkland
|
2–2 aet
4–3 pen
Zoloroni Sports City Stadium, Zoloroni
|
Omerica
|
New Lusitania
|
2–0
Langtree Metropolitan Stadium, Langtree
|
Kavagrad
|
32
|
| IAC 7
|
 Drawkland
|
Omerica
|
3–2
Seven Stars Stadium, Centivar County
|
Drawkland
|
Reçueçn
|
1–0
Castle Stadium, Raikennax
|
Kavagrad
|
24
|
| IAC 8
|
 Reçueçn
|
Reçueçn
|
3–1
National Stadium, Reçueçn
|
HUElavia
|
Squornshelan Remnant States
|
3–1
Arena der Alpen, Heldingen
|
Drawkland
|
36
|
| IAC 9
|
 HUElavia
|
New Lusitania
|
4–3
Estadio Nacional, Curumba
|
HUElavia
|
Port Ember
|
3–3 aet
3–2 pen
Estadio Hueti, Jinaqa
|
Poafmersia
|
32
|
| IAC X
|
Omerica
|
Poafmersia
|
3–2 aet
Stade de la République, Romainbourg
|
HUElavia
|
Squidroidia
|
2–0
RS Amphitheatre, Port-des-Saints
|
Tequilo
|
40
|
| IAC 11
|
 Havynwilde
|
Poafmersia
|
3–2
Uvenstadion Superparc, Keflavɨk
|
HUElavia
|
New Lusitania
|
1–0
Uvenstadion Superparc, Keflavɨk
|
Megistos
|
50
|
| IAC 12
|
 Muralos
 Almuzahara
|
Tequilo
|
3–1
Komcatt Arena, Urbego
|
Squidroidia
|
Omerica and  Silver Beach
|
48
|
| IAC 13
|
Poafmersia
|
Indusse
|
3–1
Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City
|
HUElavia
|
Felinetopia
|
1–0
Mancodas Complex, Greater Mancodas
|
Quintessence of Dust
|
44
|
| IAC 14
|
 Belnegau
|
Adab
|
2–1
Ziegelstein Castle Keep, Ziegelstein
|
Trolleborg
|
Indusse
|
6–2
Ziegelstein Castle Keep, Ziegelstein
|
Kriegiersien
|
36
|
| IAC 15
|
16 countries
|
HUElavia
|
4–4 aet
4–3 pen
Estadio Nacional, Curumba
|
Drawkland
|
Squidroidia
|
5–4 aet
1st December Stadium, Trolleborg City
|
Indusse
|
48
|
| IAC 16
|
' Drawkland
 Juvencus
|
HUElavia
|
1–0
Seven Stars Stadium, Centivar County
|
Trolleborg
|
Drawkland
|
2-1
Il Nuovo Stadio Olimpico Della Pomena, Pomena
|
Geektopia
|
40
|
| IAC 17
|
' Quintessence of Dust
10 associate host countries
|
Squidroidia
|
1–0
BobBank SkyPark, Quintessence of Dust
|
Trolleborg
|
Juvencus
|
3–2 aet
Eli F. Baker Memorial Stadium, Quintessence of Dust
|
Drawkland
|
50
|
| IAC 18
|
' Poafmersia
|
Juvencus
|
2–1
Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City
|
Indusse
|
Delaclava
|
N/A
|
Belnegau
|
40
|
See also
