Al Ain learn breakdown of $1 billion on offer at Club World Cup

Al Ain FC could win up to $100 million at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, which features the highest prize money ever offered in a club football tournament played over a seven-game format.

The tournament, set to take place this summer in the United States, boasts a staggering $1 billion total prize pool. FIFA, having announced the prize structure earlier this month, has now detailed how the funds will be distributed among the 32 participating clubs.

A total of $525 million will be allocated based on participation, with amounts determined by sporting and commercial criteria. Asian representatives, including Al Ain, will receive $9.55 million for qualifying, while European clubs stand to earn between $12.81 million and $38.19 million simply for securing their spots.

On the performance front, a separate $475 million prize pool will reward teams based on their results. Group stage victories will net clubs $3 million, while a draw earns $1 million.

Progressing to the knockout rounds increases the stakes significantly, with teams reaching the round of 16 collecting $7.5 million, quarterfinalists earning $13.125 million, and semifinalists taking home $21 million. The runner-up will claim $30 million, while the eventual champions will walk away with a $40 million jackpot.

With these lucrative rewards on the line, Al Ain FC and other participants will be competing not only for glory but also for a historic financial windfall in the reimagined Club World Cup.

“The distribution model of the FIFA Club World Cup reflects the pinnacle of club football and represents the biggest-ever prize money for a football tournament comprising a seven-match group stage and playoff format with a potential payout of USD 125 million foreseen for the winners,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“In addition to the prize money for the participating teams, there is an unprecedented solidarity investment programme where we have a target of an additional 250 million dollars being provided to club football across the world. This solidarity will undoubtedly provide a significant boost in our ongoing efforts in making football truly global.

“Not only that, but FIFA will neither retain any funding for this tournament, as all revenues will be distributed to club football, nor will it touch FIFA’s reserves, which are set aside for global football development through the 211 FIFA Member Associations.”

FIFA will reveal more details on who gets the solidarity payments after the tournament, with a target of $250m to be sent to clubs across the world. That final solidarity figure will be determined by the commercial success of the tournament.

Al Ain earned their spot in the 2025 edition thanks to their triumph in last season’s AFC Champions League, where they defeat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and ended Al Hilal’s record 34 game winning streak en route to lifting continental silverware for the second time in their history.

Al Zaeem will take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City,36-time Serie A champions Juventus and Morocco’s most decorated club, Wydad Athletic Club, in the group stage where they will hope to advance to the knockout stages.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the round of 16, leading to a single-elimination knockout stage that will run through to the final. The new format also eliminates the third-place play-off.

This expanded competition is a significant departure from the previous version, which included only seven teams and four rounds.

The UAE hosted the old format five times between 2009 and 2021, with Al Ain famously reaching the final in 2018, where they were defeated by Real Madrid.