2025 FIFA Club World Cup Draw (Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images)
FIFA’s 2025 Club World Cup has a total prize pot worth a whopping $1 billion. That makes this summer’s tournament even more lucrative than the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
But this prize fund for the U.S.-hosted tournament isn’t distributed equally. As clubs reach the latter stages of the 32-team tournament, the money on offer increases incrementally. And perhaps controversially, some clubs receive more simply based on where they are from. Teams in Europe can get more money just for participating than clubs in Asia could get for reaching the quarterfinals.
Ulsan HD Representing Asia
One of those Asian sides is Ulsan HD, a South Korean team that earned its place in the tournament as the best-ranked team in Asia’s four-year ranking, having won the Asian Champions League in 2020.
Ulsan’s club president Kim Kwang-kug spoke exclusively to RG to give his views on the prize money.
Kim said, “I’m satisfied with the prize money,” and added that “the differences between each continent are reasonable.”
Talking about how the money is distributed between each round of the competition, he said, “Actually, the prize money for a winning club is lower than expected, but many participant clubs can get benefits from it. Winning a game in the group stage is also meaningful, whether or not we make it to the round of 16 and further.”
He added that the prize money system could “induce fierce competition between each club” despite objective differences in level.
How the $1 Billion is Split
The $1 billion prize fund is split into two pillars: one for sporting performance and one simply for participation.
$525 million is allocated for the participation pillar, with the top European clubs such as Real Madrid or Manchester City getting $38.19 million, and less given to smaller European sides such as Red Bull Salzburg. Teams from South America will get $15.21 million each, and teams from other continents will get $9.55 million each—with the exception of Oceania’s participant Auckland City, who will earn just $3.58 million.
Performance-Based Rewards
In addition to participation money, teams earn based on how far they progress in the competition. The 32 teams are split into eight groups of four. Teams will earn $2 million for a win and $1 million for a draw in the group stage, which is what Kim referenced when he said every group game is meaningful.
The top two sides in each group progress to the round of 16, which earns them $7.5 million. From that point on, it’s a straight knockout:
- $13.125 million for reaching the quarterfinals
- $21 million for reaching the semifinals
- $30 million for losing in the final
- $40 million for winning the final
This means if one of the top European sides wins the tournament, it could take home a total of $125 million.
Ulsan HD Sets Sights on Round of 16
Ulsan HD has set a goal of reaching the round of 16, which would net the club somewhere in the region of $20 million.
The team’s head coach Kim Pan-gon told FIFA, “I believe progressing to the final 16 is important,” and highlighted the importance of Ulsan’s opening match against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns. Ulsan also face Brazil’s Fluminense and Germany’s Borussia Dortmund. Kim said, “If we focus well on our strengths, in areas like pace and technique, I think we may do well in our matches.”
Commercial Opportunities and Solidarity Funds
On top of the prize money, teams have the opportunity to earn from other commercial and sponsorship activities while in the U.S., akin to the types of activities they might do on a pre-season tour. These activities could be worth tens of millions to the likes of Real Madrid.
As well as the prize money, FIFA also plans to use the tournament to give solidarity payments to clubs not taking part. FIFA’s regional director of member associations for Asia and Oceania, Sanjeevan Balasingam, told RG that “FIFA is aiming to raise an additional $250 million out of this tournament that will be redirected to club football across the world.” Balasingam added that “in addition to the prize money for the participating teams, there will be an unprecedented solidarity investment programme in place that will utilize revenue from the Club World Cup to help boost club football across Asia and beyond.”
Steve Price is a freelance football journalist and regular contributor to Forbes.com. He has been on the International Sports Press Association’s shortlist for Best Column and has been on the Korean Football Association’s head coach hiring committee. Steve has reported from major tournaments like Euro 2024 and appeared on major outlets like the BBC and The Guardian. He has interviewed FIFA executives, Premier League players and international coaches among others.
