FIFA Unveils Historic $1 Billion Prize Pool for 2025 Club World Cup in the United States

By Emmanuel Kwada

FIFA revealed today that it will distribute an unprecedented $1 billion in prize money to participants in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, set to be hosted across the United States.

Credit: Euro foot on X

The figure, confirmed by a source close to the negotiations, marks a seismic shift in club football, dwarfing the prize pots of previous global tournaments and signaling FIFA’s ambition to elevate the competition to new heights.

The expanded 32-team tournament, running from June 14 to July 13, 2025, will feature some of the planet’s most illustrious clubs, including Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

Kicking off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with a headline clash between Inter Miami and Egyptian giants Al Ahly, the month-long event will culminate in a grand final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey—the same venue slated to host the 2026 World Cup final.

The $1 billion prize pool will be shared entirely among the participating clubs

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed the move as a “vivid demonstration of solidarity,” emphasizing that the $1 billion prize pool will be shared entirely among the participating clubs, with the governing body retaining none of the revenue.

“This is not just the pinnacle of club football,” Infantino said in a statement. “It’s a transformative moment for the sport, benefiting clubs worldwide on a scale never seen before.”

An additional solidarity fund, projected to start at $150 million and potentially rise to $250 million, will also support non-participating clubs globally, aiming to address concerns about financial inequality in the sport.

Credit: Fifa on X

The prize money breakdown, expected to be finalized later, will include hefty participation fees—estimated at $575 million collectively—alongside $465 million in performance-based rewards.

Top-performing teams like Manchester City or Chelsea could pocket between $60 million and $90 million, according to early projections, offering a financial windfall that outstrips the $440 million total awarded at the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar and the $110 million from the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

FIFA anticipates generating $2 billion in revenue from the tournament, fueled by a $1 billion exclusive global TV deal with streaming giant DAZN, secured in December, and sponsorships from heavyweights like Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Hisense, and AB InBev.

The tournament will unfold across 12 venues in 11 U.S. cities

The financial muscle underscores FIFA’s push to reposition the Club World Cup—historically a secondary event for European clubs—as “the football event of the year,” rivaling even the UEFA Champions League, which this season offers a $2.66 billion purse across 36 teams.

The tournament will unfold across 12 venues in 11 U.S. cities, showcasing a diverse field representing six continents. Highlights include Manchester City’s opener against Morocco’s Wydad AC in Philadelphia on June 18, and a slate of matches designed to captivate American audiences ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Yet, the ambitious expansion hasn’t come without controversy. Critics, including the global footballers’ union FIFPro and the European Leagues association, have accused FIFA of overcrowding an already packed calendar, filing a complaint with the European Commission in October 2024 over the governing body’s dominance.

~AFP

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