The Fédération Internationale de Football Association has announced that it will award a total prize money of $1 billion to clubs participating in the upcoming Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13, 2025.
This amount is significantly higher than the prize money offered for the last men’s and women’s World Cups.
According to a source close to the negotiations, the 32 clubs involved, including 12 European clubs, will split the $1 billion prize pool across a seven-match format.
The 32-team tournament, which will be held every four years, has already secured major sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Chinese electronics brand Hisense, and Belgian brewers AB InBev.
British streaming service DAZN has also been awarded the exclusive global broadcasting rights for the tournament in a deal worth around €1 billion ($1.05 billion).
The prize money for the Club World Cup far exceeds the $440 million awarded during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar and the $110 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. However, it is still less than the €2.47 billion ($2.66 billion) distributed in this season’s UEFA Champions League, which features a new 36-club format.
The expanded Club World Cup has faced criticism, particularly from European clubs and players, over concerns about player welfare. In October 2024, global footballers’ union FIFPro and the European Leagues association filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of overloading the football calendar.
Some players, including Ballon d’Or winner Rodri and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, have even raised the possibility of a strike. “I think we are close to that. If you ask any player, he will say the same,” Rodri said in September 2024, shortly before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Despite the criticism, not all reactions have been negative. Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique expressed enthusiasm for the tournament, saying, “Once every four years, there’s this new, extremely exciting competition. Everyone wants to go to the Club World Cup.”
The tournament will feature 12 teams from Europe, six from South America, and four each from Asia, Africa, and North and Central America. Auckland City and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will also participate.
Matches will be held at 12 venues across 11 cities in the United States, with the final taking place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will also host the 2026 World Cup final.
