La Liga and Champions League winners Real Madrid will not be participating in the Club World Cup, according to head coach Carlo Ancelotti. Speaking in an interview with Il Giornale, Ancelotti stated:
“FIFA can forget about it; players and clubs will not participate in that tournament. A single Real Madrid match is worth 20 million euros, and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire cup. Negative. Other clubs will reject the invitation as well.”
The prize money allocated by FIFA for the competition is lower than initially expected. Clubs anticipated earning around 50 million euros, but the actual figures are unlikely to exceed 15-20 million euros. The Club World Cup is scheduled to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025, with the new format being held every four years.
Ancelotti also reflected on overcoming challenging times in his career: “I went through some not-so-positive moments. After my experience with Everton, I had fallen off the radar; people thought I was washed up, considered me old. The same happened in Naples.”
Discussing his current club, Ancelotti said, “Madrid is special. Milan is in my heart; I played and coached there. But Real is Real—what could be better? There’s respect for history, which isn’t just the past; it’s the history.”
Regarding the Italian national team, Ancelotti commented, “I think we lacked a generational turnover after the last victory, so I don’t really know what our chances are. I’m very curious about Germany as the host; they have an interesting team.”
