Carlo Ancelotti explains why Real Madrid will reject new Club World Cup, gives stern feedback to FIFA
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has explained that the club will 'reject' the new FIFA Club World Cup format due to financial reasons. The new revamped format - which is slated to start in 2025 - will feature 32 teams in the inaugural edition in the USA in June-July.
All six FIFA confederations - UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF and OFC - will have representation. Apart from the host country - USA (in 2025) - UEFA will have 12 representatives, followed by CONMEBOL with six, CONCACAF, AFC and CAF with four each, and one from OFC.
At the moment, 29 of the 32 teams have been confirmed. However, Los Blancos - who are one of 12 qualified UEFA teams - aren't in favour of the new format, as they are being offered the same money (€20 million) for the entire tournament which they earn for a single game.
Ancelotti added (as per Madrid Zone via Relevo) that 'other' clubs are also set to 'reject' the new format:
“FIFA Club World Cup? A single Real Madrid match is worth €20 million and they want to give us that money for the whole competition. Negative. Real Madrid, like other clubs, will REJECT the invitation.”
Los Blancos are the record champions of the FIFA Club World Cup, winning five titles (2014, 2016-18, 2022).
More on why Real Madrid and other top European clubs are set to reject the new FIFA Club World Cup
Apart from Real Madrid, the Premier League, Professional Footballers Association and La Liga chief Javier Tebas are also up in arms against the new FIFA Club World Cup next summer, but for different reasons.
PFA boss Maheta Molango told Sunsport (via GOAL) that the new expanded format places extra burden on players who are already grappling with an ever-increasing fixture list for club and country:
"Football is killing its own product. Those who run the game need to listen. If they don’t, then as unions we have a responsibility to the players to take action — and the legal route is the next step.
"The governing bodies have had every chance to meaningfully engage with us on this, but they have failed to do so. Current player workloads are unsustainable. People are realising the amount of games being pushed into the fixture calendar just don’t fit."
With the 2025 edition set to start on June 15 - just two weeks after the UEFA Champions League final - FIFPRO and PFA say that it's in contravention of the three-week break stipulated in professional contracts to avoid player burnout and injury.
The major stakeholders haven't ruled out legal action if FIFA goes ahead with its proposed format.