The new-look Club World Cup may have its critics, but it’s been a big financial success for the teams taking part. With a $1 billion (£726 million) prize pool, clubs had plenty to play for.
How was the money split?
Out of the total prize money:
- $525 million was shared between all 32 teams just for participating.
- $475 million was awarded based on how well teams performed.
European clubs received different amounts for taking part, depending on sporting and commercial factors. They earned between £10m and £29m each. Teams from other continents got fixed fees:
- South America: £11.5m
- North & Central America, Asia, Africa: £7.2m
- Oceania: £2.7m
Big winners
Chelsea made the most – about £84 million, including the prize for winning the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain earned around £78.4 million for finishing second.
European teams generally earned more, averaging £39 million. South American teams made around £24 million, with clubs like Fluminense reaching the semi-finals.
Group stage wins also brought in extra cash – about £1.5 million per win and £730,000 per draw.
Some clubs, including Pachuca and Seattle Sounders, lost all three group games and only took home their participation fee.
Huge boost for smaller clubs
Auckland City, a part-time team from New Zealand, earned £3.3 million – around seven times their annual income. In comparison, Real Madrid made £67 million, which is only 4% of their £901 million annual revenue.
But experts warn that such a big payday could make it hard for other New Zealand teams to compete if Auckland invest heavily in players to stay dominant.
Help for transfers
For big European clubs, this extra income is a big help during the transfer window. UEFA rules say clubs can spend 70% of their revenue on players, wages, and agents – so every £50m made allows an extra £35m in spending.
- Borussia Dortmund: covered over 65% of their £57.9m summer spending just by reaching the quarter-finals.
- Chelsea: spent £198m this summer – and nearly half of that is already covered by their Club World Cup earnings.
- Manchester City: even with an early exit, they earned £38m, which covered their £31m move for Rayan Ait-Nouri.
- Real Madrid: paid Liverpool £8.4m to bring in Trent Alexander-Arnold early – and made that back within three matches.
A welcome boost – but at what cost?
Finance expert Kieran Maguire said the prize money will please club accountants, but warned that players and fans may not be as happy:
“Player welfare is becoming a real issue.
