Official statement from FIFA

Ancelotti Confirms Real Madrid to Reject 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Invitation

Jun 10, 2024, 09:30 AM

Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of Real Madrid, has confirmed that the club will reject the invitation to participate in the revamped 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Ancelotti cited financial concerns, stating that a single Real Madrid match generates €20 million, while FIFA's offer for the entire competition is the same amount. He also mentioned player fitness concerns and indicated that other clubs are likely to follow suit. Ancelotti made these remarks to the newspaper Il Giornale. The decision poses a significant challenge to FIFA's plans for the new 32-team tournament.