By Victor Kanayo
Clubs in Europe will most likely not take part in the upcoming FIFA World Club Cup.
This, according to reports is that the prize money set by FIFA for the competition is ‘meagre’.
Up to €20m is the available prize money.
Competition Composition
The FIFA Club World Cup with next edition scheduled for 2025, is an annual international club football competition organised by FIFA, the sport’s global governing body.
It features the champions from each of the six continental confederations (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and OFC), along with the host nation’s domestic league champions.
Ancelotti Confirmation
Reacting on the prize money, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has declared that the Spanish giants will reject the invitation to participate in the competition.
Ancelotti told Italian newspaper Il Giornale, that “Real Madrid will not go to the FIFA World Club, we will reject the invitation like other clubs.
“Just one single Real Madrid match is worth €20m, and they want to give us that money for the whole competition… no way. Negative.”
Record Winners
Real Madrid hold the record for most titles with five wins.
Spanish clubs have been the most successful with eight titles, while English clubs have won the tournament four times.
The current champions are Manchester City, who defeated Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 final.
Competition Format
The tournament follows a straight knockout format over two weeks, with the champions from Oceania facing the host nation’s champions in a play-off.
The winners join the champions from Asia, Africa, and North America in the quarter-finals. The European and South American champions enter at the semi-final stage.
