FIFA has committed a substantial $1 billion in prize money for the upcoming men’s Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams and take place in the United States. This announcement arrives just over three months before the tournament’s kickoff in Miami and follows the securing of a broadcasting agreement with DAZN, a streaming service supported by Saudi Arabian investment.
The tournament will include top European clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain among a total of 12 European entries. These teams were keen to ensure they could receive significant financial rewards from the tournament, projected to span a month. FIFA, however, has yet to disclose the specific breakdown of the prize money distribution.
Set to occur every four years, the inaugural event is anticipated to generate $2 billion in total revenue, as outlined in FIFA’s financial forecast for 2024. This includes fees intended to support teams that did not qualify, termed as solidarity payments. According to FIFA’s report, $500 million in revenue is expected from ticket and hospitality sales alone across the 63 matches scheduled in 12 different cities across the United States.
Teams have qualified for the Club World Cup based on their performances and titles won over four seasons within soccer’s continental club championships, extending until 2024. Inter Miami and Lionel Messi have been granted host-nation spots due to their performance during the Major League Soccer’s regular season.
The financial contribution from the Club World Cup is predicted to elevate FIFA’s overall budgeted income to $13 billion, spanning up to the co-hosted 2026 World Cup by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA’s revenue primarily stems from broadcasting and sponsorship agreements made in the tournament year, with a comprehensive financial summary expected to be released in 2027.
In terms of executive compensation, FIFA disclosed that its president, Gianni Infantino, received a base salary of 2.6 million Swiss francs ($2.92 million) for 2024, marking an increase of 140,000 Swiss francs ($157,000) from the previous year. His total compensation package, incorporating an unchanged annual bonus of 1.65 million Swiss francs ($1.85 million), reached 4.25 million Swiss francs ($4.77 million). FIFA has been sharing salary details publicly since Infantino took office in 2016 as part of their transparency initiatives.
