The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/2025-club-world-cup/">2025 FIFA Club World Cup</a> is set to introduce a new 32-team format that has sparked both excitement and controversy. While critics raise concerns about player fatigue and financial sustainability, the tournament’s potential prize money has caught the attention of clubs and fans alike. Notably, stars like&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/inter-miami/">Inter Miami</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/kylian-mbappe/">Kylian Mbappe</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/real-madrid/">Real Madrid</a>&nbsp;could be in line for massive earnings if their teams perform well.



The revamped Club World Cup offers <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/another-accolade-for-lionel-messi-kylian-mbappe-or-erling-haaland-gleaming-new-fifa-club-world-cup-trophy-now-coated-in-24-carat-gold/">significantly higher rewards</a> than previous iterations. While winners of the old format received just&nbsp;$5 million, ESPN previously suggested the 2025 champions could earn up to&nbsp;€95 million—a sum comparable to the&nbsp;€123 million&nbsp;Real Madrid collected for winning the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League. Even participation alone was initially rumored to guarantee&nbsp;€50 million, though recent reports from the Spanish newspaper Marca indicate that figure will be substantially lower.



The total prize pool, bolstered by a&nbsp;€1 billion broadcasting deal with DAZN, will largely benefit European clubs, which are expected to claim about&nbsp;70%&nbsp;of the revenue. The remaining&nbsp;30%&nbsp;will be divided among the 22 non-European teams. Despite FIFA President&nbsp;Gianni Infantino’s&nbsp;assurances that the organization will not dip into its reserves to fund the tournament, questions about financial viability persist.



While official player earnings from prize money haven’t been confirmed, clubs like Real Madrid and Inter Miami often offer significant performance bonuses tied to tournament success. If Los Blancos were to win, the Frenchman’s share could range from&nbsp;€5-10 million, depending on his contract terms. Similarly, Messi could earn a comparable figure should his side pull off a stunning upset, though their participation is already controversial given their early <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/mls/">MLS</a> playoff exit.



<h2>Controversy and criticism</h2>



The Club World Cup has drawn widespread criticism due to concerns about player welfare. Adding another high-stakes tournament to an already congested calendar could exacerbate the physical and mental toll on elite players like Messi, Mbappe, and Erling Haaland. Clubs, national teams, and players’ unions have voiced opposition, warning of increased injury risks.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20241205_WST_542663_club-world-cup-trophy-1200x675_60d33085.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="2025 club world cup trophy" class="wp-image-542672" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/12/05095555/club-world-cup-trophy.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



Despite Infantino’s stated goal of making soccer global, the financial structure heavily favors Europe’s elite clubs. The tournament’s format underscores the existing disparities in world soccer wealth. Smaller clubs from Africa, Asia, and other regions may struggle to compete financially, even if the tournament provides some opportunity to reinvest in infrastructure.



<h2>Will Messi and Mbappe meet?</h2>



Fans had been eager to see whether Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/potential-clubs-that-messis-inter-miami-could-face-in-the-fifa-club-world-cup-as-pots-revealed/">could face each other</a> in the 2025 Club World Cup. With&nbsp;Inter Miami&nbsp;and&nbsp;Real Madrid&nbsp;both confirmed participants, the possibility of one more showdown between the two global superstars had added intrigue to the tournament.



At the Club World Cup in June, the 26-year-old will not face Messi, but he will face Neymar, another one of his former PSG colleagues since the reigning La Liga champions will <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/lionel-messi-and-inter-miami-draw-accessible-group-in-fifa-club-world-cup-while-seattle-sounders-land-in-the-group-of-death/">play Al-Hilal in Group H</a>.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup: How much could Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe earn?

2025 FIFA Club World Cup: How much could Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe earn? - World Soccer Talk

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For the last few months, the European Super League scenario has dominated the conversation. The current leaders of the planned league, Real Madrid and Barcelona, want it to eventually replace UEFA’s tournaments.



After much deliberation, the European Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ESL in December 2023. According to them, UEFA has no business interfering with their plans to launch a new tournament since the sport is open to anyone.



As a result, the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/50-to-60-clubs-are-holding-talks-over-super-league-plans-20240127-WST-485956.html">Super League</a> included themselves in the equation once again. Nevertheless, they have encountered even more obstacles, as several teams have publicly condemned the tournament. Instead, they have aligned their support with UEFA throughout.



<h2>Prize money in UEFA club competitions rises</h2>



The governing body of football in Europe is hell-bent on maintaining its position and has made significant steps in that direction. The establishment of the league is a big concern for them.



Therefore, to maintain the allegiance of the best clubs and prevent them from defecting to their rivals, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/european-super-league-says-20-teams-ready-to-join-division-20240123-WST-485041.html">UEFA</a> made a historic move. From 2024-2027, the governing body intends to raise $5 billion, according to the reports.



The total prize fund for all three of UEFA’s championships is increasing by $538 million, according to <a href="https://www.relevo.com/futbol/uefa-sube-apuesta-frente-superliga-20240207175126-nt.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Relevo</a>. In addition, the participants will get 93.5 percent of the tournaments’ earnings, while UEFA will keep just 6.5 percent.



Also, based on their results in Europe over the last decade, the “bigger” clubs will get a larger share of the broadcast revenue, so they stand to gain even more.



Nearly $140 million is what UEFA is now offering to the winner of the Champions League. Next season, all of the European men’s club championships will share in a minimum of $4.74 billion in promised funding, according to the organization.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240208_WST_488409_Ceferin-Europa-League-1200x670_fc3a3e39.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-488433" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/Ceferin-Europa-League-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/Ceferin-Europa-League-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/Ceferin-Europa-League-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/Ceferin-Europa-League.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



The statement said that teams failing to go beyond the European qualifying rounds would get $474 million, or 10 percent of the total. Conversely, so would teams from the highest tiers of European soccer that failed to earn a single UEFA tournament berth.



Some have speculated that UEFA is trying to win over clubs that are skeptical of its organization with this approach. Real Madrid and Barcelona also stand to gain from the adjustments, so it will be intriguing to see if their position changes as a result.



<h2>New Champions League format, new revenue</h2>



The number of clubs competing in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a> will increase from 24 to 36 starting with the next season. This shift has been planned for a while now.



In preparation for the 2024-25 season, UEFA has chosen to alter the structure of Europe’s premier club championship. As with every alteration, there are pros and cons to these modifications.



Many are worried about the impact on players’ health from adding extra matches to an already packed club schedule. On the other side, more matches and teams equal greater potential for money. Furthermore, this may be financially advantageous for the participating teams.



Then there is the additional revenue that may be generated from gate receipts. The more games a club has to play, the more money they may make from ticket sales.



PHOTOS: IMAGO.

UEFA increases prize money to put halt to Super League hopes

In response to the European Super League scenario, UEFA have decided to increase the prize money for European events.

The Premier League is redistributing the prize money allocation each season that will benefit the top clubs in the English top flight. Extending from the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/everton-receives-record-points-deduction-from-premier-league-20231117-WST-470890.html">10-point deduction from Everton</a>, the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> wants to shake up the distribution of finances. This is part of the ‘New Deal For Football,’ which is the Premier League’s proposal to generate more money for the clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two.



While the main part of that deal helps lower leagues, part of it also deals with how money spreads out in the Premier League. Currently, the money goes out on a ratio. The top club earns a ratio of 1.6 to 1 compared to the bottom club. For example, Manchester City earned $200 million as champions last season. Southampton, which finished bottom, earned $125 million. According to the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/11/19/premier-league-clubs-prize-money-everton-point-deduction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Telegraph</a>, the top clubs in the Premier League want to bump that ratio to 1.8.



The top clubs attribute the recalibration to international growth in league revenue. Based on inflation, teams at the bottom get a favorable return in prize money. Also, the New Deal For Football will sap more money from those top clubs. In essence, the clubs at risk of relegation are more inclined to give more to the teams in the Championship, League One and League Two. This is the effort of clubs like Luton Town, Sheffield United and Burnley to bring more money to the league they just came from. It looks certain that the Premier League clubs will send an extra $162 million to lower-league clubs. The only thing at debate is where that money comes from.



<h2>Top Premier League clubs want prize money increased after Everton debacle</h2>



One of the biggest reasons for the debate about finances stems from Everton’s recent points deduction. As a result of Everton’s losses over a three-year period, clubs and fans alike are calling for new financial regulation. In the lower leagues, clubs are at constant risk of losing money. Some of the recent punishments for financial irregularities include Everton, Derby County and Reading. Each picked up a points deduction.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231120_WST_471486_Sean-Dyche-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-471507" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Sean-Dyche-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Sean-Dyche-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Sean-Dyche-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Sean-Dyche.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Everton’s 10-point deduction is the largest in Premier League history, and the Toffees are now in the relegation zone.</figcaption></figure>



However, the top clubs in the Premier League are not as eager to give goodwill to the lower-league clubs. Their opposition to how the Premier League plans to pay for the New Deal For Football is leading to the increased prize money distribution. 



<h2>New prize money ratio comes in the 2025/26 season</h2>



This season and the following one are locked in, financially speaking. The New Deal For Football is not yet ratified either, which means the Premier League can still find a way to pay the lower leagues the aforementioned $162 million. Likewise, the ratio of 1.8 for the top clubs in the Premier League in prize money is also confirmed.



Starting in the 2025/26 season, the clubs finishing at the top of the Premier League could earn tens of millions more in prize money with this new ratio. There are already concerns that this will increase the disparity in the top teams in the table. As a result, the Premier League would lose parity.



PHOTOS: IMAGO

Elite Premier League clubs to earn greater prize portion per year

The Premier League is redistributing the prize money allocation each season that will benefit the top clubs in the English top flight.

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2025 FIFA Club World Cup: How much could Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe earn?

European Super League

UEFA increases prize money to put halt to Super League hopes

Everton

Elite Premier League clubs to earn greater prize portion per year