The 1961–62 International Football Cup was the first Intertoto Cup, a football tournament for European clubs that would otherwise not have a European competition to compete in.

The inaugural tournament was won by Ajax, who defeated Feyenoord in the final.

The competition was contested by 32 clubs, almost exclusively from central Europe – Austria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden entered four clubs each; Poland entered two; and West Germany entered six clubs.

Eventually the final became a clash between Dutch rivals Ajax and Feyenoord.

The groups were themselves divided geographically as 'A' for eastern countries (Austria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Poland) and 'B' for western countries (the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland).