FIFA World Club: Madrid won’t attend, prize money small – Ancelotti

Due to their displeasure with the competition's prize money, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has announced that the Spanish powerhouses will decline the invitation to play in the 2018 FIFA World Club Cup.

Ancelotti did not hold back when he told the Italian daily Il Giornale, "Real Madrid will NOT go to the FIFA World Club; we will reject the invitation like other clubs."

The Italian strategist went on to defend the team's position, pointing out the glaring discrepancy in income between the tournament's prize money and the sum made from a single Real Madrid game.

"They want to give us that money for the entire competition, but a single Real Madrid match is only worth €20 million. No way." "Nah," Ancelotti responded to Il Giornale.

FIFA, the global governing body of club football, organises the annual FIFA Club World Cup, an international competition. Together with the domestic league winners of the host country, it includes the champions from each of the six continental confederations (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and OFC).

Over the course of two weeks, the competition uses a straight knockout system. In the play-off round, the champions from Oceania take on the champions of the host country. In the quarterfinals, the winners take against the champions from Asia, Africa, and North America. The winners from South America and Europe advance to the semifinals.

With five titles, Real Madrid is the team with the most wins. English clubs have won the event four times, while Spanish clubs have emerged as the most successful with eight trophies. The current champions are Manchester City, who defeated Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 final.

The following tournament is slated to take place in 2025.