Club World Cup 2025

The money each MLS club will earn at the Club World Cup revealed

MLS team wore shirts reading “World Club Cash Grab” to denounce what they see as an unfair distribution of tournament bonuses.

MLS team wore shirts reading “World Club Cash Grab” to denounce what they see as an unfair distribution of tournament bonuses.
Estados Unidos Update:

The final spot for Los Angeles FC in the 2025 Club World Cup has dominated conversation since Saturday night – and the Seattle Sounders are refusing to stay silent.

During their Sunday MLS match against Minnesota, the Sounders made their stance clear, taking to the pitch at Lumen Field in protest shirts. Each player wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “World Club Cash Grab,” a reference to the growing discontent over how FIFA intends to divide tournament prize money.

What are the Sounders protesting?

Seattle, under head coach Brian Schmetzer, were among the first teams to secure qualification for the revamped Club World Cup, which will feature 32 teams and aims to rival the excitement of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

After winning the Concacaf Champions League in 2022, Seattle began planning carefully for this tournament. But balancing preparation for the FCWC alongside the demands of MLS, Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup has taken a toll. Players say the sheer workload deserves a compensation structure that reflects their effort.

The issue, however, isn’t just the amount of money on the table – it’s how that money is being allocated. The players argue that clauses built into the FIFA-MLS agreement prevent equitable sharing of prize money among the squad.

Here’s what’s at stake financially

The Club World Cup’s prize structure is as follows:

  • $2 million per win and $1 million per draw
  • $7.5 million for reaching the Round of 16
  • $13.1 million for the quarter-finals
  • $21 million for semifinalists and $30 million for runners-up
  • $40 million for the tournament winner

The Seattle Sounders, known as “the Emeralds,” and other players are pushing for a more balanced and transparent distribution of these funds.

The players speak up

In mid-May, goalkeeper Stefan Frei voiced the concerns that had been quietly brewing behind the scenes. “They’re worried we won’t be fairly compensated for the added workload. We feel the same way,” he said, referring to discussions with both FIFA and MLS that failed to yield results.

Despite this early outreach, neither FIFA president Gianni Infantino nor tournament organizers made any concessions. So this weekend, Seattle went public – with the backing of the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), which released a statement supporting the protest.

“For months, players invited the league to privately and respectfully negotiate bonus terms,” the MLSPA wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “but MLS has failed to present a reasonable proposal.” The association accused the league of accepting FIFA’s terms without ensuring players received a fair share, stating that MLS “has refused to allocate a just percentage of those funds to the players.”

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