Manchester City and Chelsea have effectively offset the transfer fees paid for Rayan Ait-Nouri and Liam Delap, respectively, with prize money already secured.
Manchester City and Chelsea are reaping substantial financial rewards from their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, with the potential for even greater earnings.
In some cases, the transfer fees of their summer acquisitions have already been recouped.
Amidst reports of sparsely attended stadiums, challenging weather conditions, and substandard playing surfaces during the competition’s group stage, the significant financial gains for participating clubs may be overlooked.
Several teams have already earned tens of millions simply by qualifying for the tournament.
BBC Sport examines the financial incentives at the Club World Cup and the earnings accrued by the English clubs thus far.
Should Manchester City emerge victorious, their total earnings would reach approximately £92m, while Chelsea’s potential earnings are slightly lower.
The initial estimate of £97m in prize money has been adjusted due to fluctuations in the exchange rate between US dollars and British pounds.
Participating teams receive a fee, with European clubs’ allocation varying based on “sporting and commercial criteria.”
City’s fee is the maximum at £27.9m. Chelsea’s fee is also high but not quite as much, according to BBC Sport sources.
Both teams qualified for the tournament as a result of winning the Champions League in the past four seasons.
Teams from North America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania receive just under £7m, while South American clubs receive approximately £11m.
Prize money increases with each stage of advancement, irrespective of continental affiliation.
In the group stages, wins are worth nearly £1.5m, with draws earning approximately £750,000.
Reaching the last 16 earns clubs £5.5m.
The quarter-finals are worth £9.6m.
A semi-final spot lands teams another £15.3m.
Reaching the final and losing is £21.9m.
Winning the competition is worth £29.2m.
The total prize pot offered by FIFA is $1bn (£730m), believed to be a record amount.
Manchester City has already earned approximately £37.8m in prize money, the highest amount for any team due to their perfect record in the group stage.
Chelsea’s earnings are slightly lower, reflecting a smaller participation fee and the financial impact of their group-stage defeat by Flamengo, which cost them nearly £1.5m.
Subsequent prize money is uniform for all clubs progressing to each respective stage.
Both City and Chelsea stand to earn £9.6m if they win their last-16 ties, with the potential for significantly greater earnings in later rounds.
Chelsea faces Benfica on Saturday (21:00 BST), while City plays Al-Hilal on Tuesday (02:00).
Chelsea’s recent £30m acquisition of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, who scored in their 3-0 win over ES Tunis, occurred just 23 days ago.
The Blues’ prize money has likely already covered, or nearly covered, his transfer fee.
It also largely covers the £29m fee for Palmeiras winger Estevao Willian, due after the Club World Cup.
Manchester City’s £31m investment in Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who provided an assist in their 5-2 victory over Juve, has been effectively offset by their earnings, with an additional £7m surplus.
The £30.5m City paid Lyon for forward Rayan Cherki, who scored in the 6-0 win over Al Ain, would also be covered by a run to the semi-finals.
Furthermore, winning the tournament would provide approximately two-thirds of the £46.3m fee paid to AC Milan for Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.
To contextualize the potential £91.9m prize pot, only around 12 transfer fees in football history exceed this amount.
The figures are compelling, particularly considering the winner plays a maximum of seven games.
Paris St-Germain earned approximately £95m for winning the Champions League last season, but their campaign comprised 17 matches.
Premier League prize money, awarded over 38 games, is more nuanced and dependent on revenues. In 2023-24, champions Manchester City took home £175.9m.
Conversely, Crystal Palace only received £3.9m for winning the FA Cup this year.
Therefore, a team would need to win the FA Cup 24 times to match the prize money City – who lost to Palace at Wembley – would earn by winning the Club World Cup.
In March, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola stated his squad “don’t deserve” to see any of the money on offer.
While City has impressed thus far in the competition, not least in Thursday’s 5-2 victory over Juventus, it follows a challenging and trophyless campaign.
“We don’t deserve a bonus this season,” said Guardiola. “The bonus, if you win, I don’t know how much, it’s for the club.
“The managers, the backroom staff, the players, we don’t deserve – not even a watch.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he hasn’t felt any extra pressure because of the riches on offer.
“The owners just want the best for us and for the players game by game, and they are not talking about the final prize or the final reward in terms of money,” said Maresca before their final group game against ES Tunis.
“They never put pressure on me or the players in terms of we need to win this tournament because of the money.”
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Manchester City ‘don’t deserve’ Club World Cup bonus – Guardiola
In March, European Leagues president Claudius Schafer said he “fears for the future” of domestic competitions because of the distortion created by the Club World Cup prize money.
“If an Austrian league club gets $50m, that has a huge influence on [that] league,” he said.
Salzburg will have earned at least £11.5m despite going out in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Seattle Sounders warmed up for a game in T-shirts with ‘Club World Ca$h Grab’ written on the front, in an argument involving MLS players over bonuses.
New Zealand champions Auckland City, whose team are made up of amateurs on expenses, are also involved in a similar issue.
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