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Real Madrid to Boycott FIFA Club World Cup Over Prize Money Dispute

Written by Jerry Alomatu on June 10, 2024

News Views: 79

MADRID, SPAIN – Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has announced that the Spanish giants will decline the invitation to participate in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, citing dissatisfaction with the competition’s prize money.

Speaking to Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Ancelotti was forthright in his criticism, stating, “Real Madrid will NOT go to the FIFA Club World Cup. We will reject the invitation like other clubs.”

The Italian tactician elaborated on the club’s decision, highlighting the significant financial disparity between the tournament’s prize money and the revenue generated by a single Real Madrid match.

“Just one single Real Madrid match is worth €20m, and they want to give us that money for the whole competition… no way. Negative,” Ancelotti told Il Giornale.

The FIFA Club World Cup is an annual international club football competition organized by FIFA, featuring the champions from each of the six continental confederations (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and OFC), along with the host nation’s domestic league champions.

The tournament follows a knockout format over two weeks, with the champions from Oceania facing the host nation’s champions in a play-off. The winners then join the champions from Asia, Africa, and North America in the quarter-finals, while the European and South American champions enter at the semi-final stage.

Real Madrid holds the record for most titles with five wins. Spanish clubs have been the most successful overall with eight titles, while English clubs have won the tournament four times. The current champions are Manchester City, who defeated Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 final.

The next competition is scheduled to be held in 2025.