The upcoming 32-team Club World Cup, set to be hosted in the United States, presents a lucrative opportunity with its prize fund reaching $1 billion. The winning team could potentially pocket a hefty $125 million. FIFA has disclosed Wednesday how this prize money will be distributed among the participating teams during the tournament schedule from June 14 to July 13. Here’s how it breaks down: $525 million is designated as guaranteed fees, which range from $38.19 million for Europe’s top team to $3.58 million for Auckland City from Oceania.
Additional funds amounting to $475 million can be earned based on performance across the 63 matches. Teams can secure $2 million for a group-stage win, $7.5 million for reaching the round of 16, and an impressive $40 million for clinching victory at the final match, which will be held at MetLife Stadium near New York. For instance, the leading European team, potentially Real Madrid, could earn up to $125 million if they were to win all their group matches and progress through to triumph in the finals.
Recently, the Club World Cup trophy has found an unusual home—it’s been showcased in the Oval Office at the White House. This was following FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s presentation of the trophy to President Trump, who has been invited to hand it over to the victors. The announcement of the prize fund faced delays because a global broadcast deal had to be finalized. This agreement was eventually reached in December with DAZN, a streaming service which received significant investment from a Saudi-backed sports agency. Fans can stream matches on DAZN without any charges.
In a related update, Saudi Arabia has also been confirmed as the official host for the men’s 2034 World Cup by FIFA. Each of the 12 European clubs participating in this expanded four-yearly Club World Cup will receive at least $12.81 million as a base entry fee. FIFA has stated that distribution of the payments will be based on both sporting and commercial metrics, though specifics remain undisclosed. Among these are clubs like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, who secured participation by clinching Champions League titles or showcasing strong and consistent performances from 2021 to 2024.
Each country could have up to two participating clubs unless it boasted three champions; hence, Salzburg qualified as the last European representative despite not surpassing the round of 16 because higher-ranked clubs such as Liverpool and Barcelona were limited by the country’s entry cap. South American teams are each set to receive a $15.21 million entry fee. Meanwhile, teams representing Africa, Asia, and the CONCACAF region, including the likes of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami—who didn’t claim the MLS Cup last season—are promised $9.55 million each for participation. Should any of these regional teams win the title, their total earnings would not exceed $100 million.
There is a current challenge being posed by Mexico’s Leon, contesting its exclusion due to its shared ownership with another qualified team, Pachuca. Besides the main allocations, FIFA plans to distribute $250 million among non-participating clubs. The specifics regarding how many will benefit or the exact amounts are yet to be outlined.
Compared to the Club World Cup, the $125 million maximum prize stands slightly below other competitions, like the English Premier League or UEFA’s Champions League, when it comes to their prize money scales. Last season, Manchester City achieved 176 million pounds ($227 million) after winning the Premier League. For the UEFA 2022-23 Champions League, Man City secured nearly 135 million euros ($146 million), with plans to increase the competition’s prize fund by almost 25% each season until 2027. UEFA alone will be distributing close to 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) across 36 teams with a revised format guaranteeing each team eight games instead of six.
Turning back to the Club World Cup, the tournament’s $1 billion reward fund exceeds double the amount FIFA allotted—$440 million—to the 32 soccer federations participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Furthermore, a number of sponsors currently partnered with FIFA, for the club event are also tied into agreements for the men’s 2026 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.