£15 Million for Each Team Participating in the Club World Cup

A total of £500 million will be distributed among the participating teams in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, with each team receiving approximately £15.6 million, according to The Times.

Reports indicate that FIFA met with the European Club Association last Tuesday to discuss potential financial figures, with the possibility of exceeding £500 million in prize money alone, to be evenly split among the 32 participating teams.

Meanwhile, Costa Rican club Alajuelense has accused FIFA of violating its own Club World Cup regulations by allowing two Mexican teams owned by the same entity to participate.

Both Club León and Pachuca, owned by the Pachuca Group, qualified for the tournament by winning the CONCACAF Champions League in 2023 and 2024, respectively. However, The Times revealed that Alajuelense has filed a legal complaint demanding that FIFA’s general secretariat exclude one of the two clubs to ensure the integrity of the competition.

The tournament will feature four clubs from the CONCACAF region, including León, Pachuca, Monterrey from Mexico, and Seattle Sounders from the United States.

Alajuelense’s complaint is based on FIFA’s own continental federation rankings, arguing that their inclusion in the expanded tournament—set to take place next summer in the United States—is more deserved than one of Pachuca Group’s teams.

In addition to the two Mexican clubs, Pachuca Group also owns Everton de Viña del Mar in Chile and holds a majority stake in the Spanish second-division club Real Oviedo.

Alajuelense’s legal complaint references new rules published by FIFA last month, specifically Article 10.1, which prohibits any participating club from having ownership or affiliation—directly or indirectly—with another club.

These rules are designed to maintain the competition’s integrity and prevent conflicts of interest, such as controlling or influencing multiple clubs through ownership, management, or performance. Alajuelense insists that one of Pachuca Group’s clubs should be excluded to ensure fairness.

The regulations further state that no individual or legal entity may control or influence more than one club participating in the tournament or exercise decisive influence over a club’s decisions in any way. If multiple clubs fail to meet these criteria, FIFA’s general secretariat is tasked with deciding which club is accepted and determining how to replace the excluded club.

This decision will depend on club rankings and the allocation of spots for each continental federation or member association. Mexican clubs have won three of the last four CONCACAF Champions League titles, with Monterrey triumphing in 2021, effectively removing the rule limiting participation to two clubs per country.

Alajuelense, ranked 15th, believes it deserves inclusion as the 14 clubs ahead of it are either American or Mexican.

The Costa Rican club plays in the nation’s top division and has won several domestic titles. However, the substantial prize money on offer next summer could be crucial for its financial standing.

Alajuelense has also stated in its complaint that if one of Pachuca Group’s clubs is removed and they are not given the spot, they will challenge the decision through FIFA’s Appeals Committee or take the matter to the independent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.

FIFA has also faced criticism for granting Inter Miami a spot as the host team, despite the club finishing at the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings and being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Player unions have also expressed concerns over the additional physical and mental strain imposed on top stars by the expanded tournament.

FIFA declined to comment but responded to criticism this week regarding the lack of a broadcast partner and the decision to include Inter Miami by stating:

“FIFA is confident in the tournament’s strength and high level of interest. Competing interests from those afraid of its success are actively trying to undermine it, stooping to the discouraging level of questioning whether domestic league winners should qualify.”

The Club World Cup draw will take place on December 5, while the tournament itself is scheduled to run from June 15 to July 13, 2025.