Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that they will not take part in the revamped FIFA Club World Cup tournament set to take place in the United States in June and July 2025.
Real Madrid qualified for the tournament by winning the UEFA Champions League in 2022 and 2024. However, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Ancelotti said that Real Madrid will refuse to take part in the competition along with other unnamed clubs citing financial reasons.
“FIFA can forget it, Players and clubs won’t participate in that tournament, Ancelotti said. “One single Real Madrid game is worth €20 million, and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire competition. Negative. Just like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation.
Ancelotti is currently in Vancouver, Canada on holiday following Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League triumph.
An anonymous source from the club cited as saying that FIFA is looking to ‘kill the players’ from excessive workload and players can end up playing up to 72 matches next season.
If Real Madrid does end up not participating in the revamped competition, it would not be very comfortable for FIFA given the integrity and history of the club.
FIFA Club World Cup New Format
This season the FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 teams participating from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, out of which 29 clubs have already qualified. Twelve teams will take part from UEFA, four each from CONCACAF, CAF, and the AFC, one from Oceanic, and one from Hosts USA.
There are two pathways to qualify for the tournament. First is the ‘Champions pathway’ in which the clubs winning their continental club competitions will qualify and the ‘ranking pathway’ which will be based on clubs’ previous performances.
This initiative has been taken by FIFA to match the success of continental club competitions like the UEFA Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.
Real Madrid’s history at the FIFA Club World Cup
Real Madrid is the most successful team in the FIFA Club World Cup history. They have lifted the trophy 5 times. Their first-ever trophy came in 2015 when they defeated San Lorenzo from Argentina on penalties. They won their second title the following year in 2016 beating Kashima Antlers in the final.
Two more back-to-back titles followed in 2016 and 2017 beating Grêmio and Al-Ain respectively. Their fifth and most recent title came in 2022 when they beat Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia by 5-3.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
