Real Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has announced that the Spanish giants will not participate in the upcoming FIFA World Club Cup, citing dissatisfaction with the competition’s prize money. In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Ancelotti stated, “Real Madrid will NOT go to the FIFA World Club, we will reject the invitation like other clubs.”
Ancelotti elaborated on the club’s decision, highlighting the significant financial gap 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 emphasized.
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, along with the host nation’s domestic league champions. Real Madrid holds the record for the most titles with five wins.
The tournament follows a straight knockout format over two weeks, with the current champions, Manchester City, defeating Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 final. The next competition is scheduled to be held in 2025.