HELLO my good football people, hope all’s well with you! Hate to say it but I’m kind of looking forward to the Club World Cup kicking off on Sunday!
There’s even a tasty fixture to start with as PSG play Atletico at the ‘Rose Bowl’ in California!
How weird is that? Hopefully a crowd will turn up? It’s just outside LA and as we’ve been seeing over the last few days, there’s been significant unrest given Donald Trump’s ICE raids on apparent ‘illegal aliens’.
I’m not sure two “soccer” teams from Europe will create the desired ticket sales… we’ll have to wait and see.
Either way, given PSG’s brilliance over the Champions League will they even be up for it? WILL ANYONE BE UP FOR IT during the following month when players and staff should be resting after a full season?
I reckon Fifa has turned to the one thing that can change pretty much anything on earth these days… yep, MONEY!
It’s set to become the most lucrative club football tournament in history, with a massive total prize pool of $1-billion.
This amount is split into two main components: $475 million allocated for performance and $525 million in participation fees.
Each of the 32 qualifying clubs will receive a guaranteed participation bonus, which varies by region - European clubs could earn between $12.8 and $38.2 million, while teams from Africa, Asia, and the Americas will receive between $9.5m and $15.2m.
Oceania clubs will receive approximately $3.6m. That’s a cool R200m for Patrice Motsepe before the tournament even kicks off!
But you know, he needs it right. In addition to the participation fee, clubs can earn significant performance-based cash rewards.
Wins and draws in the group stage add to the pot, with knockout stage bonuses increasing dramatically: $7.5 million for reaching the Round of 16, $13.1 million for the quarter-finals, $21 million for the semi-finals, and $30 million for finishing as runners-up.
The ultimate prize, however, is$40 million (half a billion rand) for the champion.
A club that goes all the way- winning every match - could walk away with up to $125 million (more than R2bn).
This dwarfs the prize money previously offered in past editions (around $16 million in 2023).
The scale of the rewards has even persuaded elite clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City to participate as a good run in the tournament could have a significant effect on Fifa ‘Fair Play’ rules! So I think we’ll probably be in for some decent football given the pressure from upstairs to perform. It’s a huge wank though really, I mean look at a team like Chelsea… they’re in it because they won the Champions League in 2020/21.
I can’t think of a single person from the board to the players who were part of that tournament. But anyhow, it’s a bit of football to keep the addiction at bay (and also a chance to possibly see a few new signings take to the field in a more competitive environment than friendlies). I’d predict a slow, boring start, gradually getting more exciting as we reach the knockout stages. Can the Blues win a second Micky Mouse Cup? Will City and Real Madrid play all their stars? Can Sundowns hold their own against the likes of Borrusia Dortmund (in their group)?Gonna be interesting…Stay safe people, chat next week, bye byeee
