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In the absence of the international FIFA World Cup, which is set to take place in 2026, for this year we have the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as the premier sports event for the summer season, which brings football (or soccer!) glory to the United States for a whole month in June and July.

 

So for any sports fans in need of their dose of the beautiful game over the summer season, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is the one to watch.

 

 

We are all familiar with the World Cup, in which countries battle it out for the distinctive Jules Rimet trophy. In fact, Spain is set to host the World Cup in 2030, in conjunction with neighbours Portugal and Morocco.

 

But instead of being contested by international teams playing against each other and football players representing their own countries, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, on the other hand, pits club teams from different leagues around the world against one another to compete for the title.

 

The format involves 32 teams, selected from among the winners of the four previous continental championships. Defending champion for the 2025 edition of the World Cup is Manchester City.

 

Since 2019, the Cup has been held around June/July time to be a more attractive proposition to broadcasters and sponsors, and it is now held every four years, the same as the normal FIFA World Cup.

 

All 32 teams who participate in the competition are divided into eight groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group qualifying to the knockout stage. Basically, this is the same format as that used in the FIFA World Cup between 1998 and 2022, with the exception of a third-place playoff.

 

 

The truth is that Spanish clubs have not had much luck so far at the start of the tournament, with Atletico Madrid gaining little ground against Paris Saint-Germain to go straight to the bottom of the Group B standings after their first match.

 

Real Madrid’s best start to the World Cup against Al Hilal was not their best either. Their expectations were high in Xabi Alonso’s debut as coach, with new signings Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the starting 11, but it was not enough for them to secure more than a 1-1 against the Saudi side, who managed to equalise Gonzalo Garcia’s goal from the penalty spot. They did, however, pick up a 3-1 victory against Mexican side Pachua in their last game. They are now the fourth favourites to get their hands on the trophy in the most recent football betting markets.

 

 

Of course, there is a whole lot at stake for the teams that take part in the competition. The financial distribution model for the Club World Cup sees FIFA distribute a total of 1 billion US dollars among the 32 participating teams.

 

In other words, this is an all-time record in prize money for a competition that follows the group stage and direct elimination format.

 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has explained that the winning team could receive up to $125 million. However, this is not the only payment the clubs receive; the financial plan is divided into several blocks.

 

On the one hand, $475 million is earmarked for rewarding sporting performance, while $525 million is for participation. That’s one heck of a participation prize! Curiously enough, the way this money is allocated has raised a few eyebrows.

 

In this case, they are allocated depending on the continent of origin of the club. For instance, Europeans can receive between $12.81 million and $38.19 million, while South Americans can receive $15.21 million, teams from Asia, Africa and North America $9.55 million, and Oceania $3.58 million.

 

Add to all this the prizes given out based on the results of the matches and it all comes to a pretty tidy sum as each victory in the group stage earns a team $2 million, while if the match ends in a draw, it's still an impressive $1 million.

 

This figure increases as the tournament progresses: $7.5 million in the round of 16, $13.125 in the quarter-finals, $21 million in the semi-finals, $30 million for the runner-up and $40 million for the champion.

 

Thanks to the generous prize money, high stakes, the quality of the sportsmanship on display and the national and club pride, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is the ultimate sporting competition of this summer season, and not one to be missed in any event.

 

Image: delmiro@gmail.com