Real Madrid To Decline Club World Cup Invite Over Financial And Schedule Concerns, Ancelotti Reveals

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Real Madrid will decline FIFA's invitation to participate in the 2025 Club World Cup, citing insufficient financial incentives for the 15-time European champions. The revamped tournament, set to take place in the United States at the end of next season, will feature 32 teams from six federations.

Teams such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Real Madrid have already qualified due to their past successes on the European and global stage. Despite FIFA's discussions with clubs regarding rights and prize money, concerns over player welfare and a congested fixture schedule have led Ancelotti to deem the tournament unworthy for LaLiga champions.

"FIFA can forget it; footballers and clubs will not participate in that tournament," Ancelotti told Italian daily Il Giornale in an interview published on Monday. "A single Real Madrid match is worth €20 million, and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the whole cup. Negative. Like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation."

Ancelotti, who has won the competition three times with Milan and Los Blancos, emphasized the financial disparity between individual match revenues and the proposed prize money for the entire tournament. The 65-year-old led Madrid to their 15th European crown following a 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Ayer fue un día maravilloso para cerrar una temporada inolvidable. Y también la confirmación de que el verdadero sentido de ganar títulos es poder celebrarlo con todos vosotros. Sois increíbles y estoy orgulloso de ser un madridista más. Hala Madrid y Nada Más pic.twitter.com/93nBirbrUF

— Carlo Ancelotti (@MrAncelotti) June 3, 2024

Ancelotti returned to the Bernabeu in 2021 after leaving Everton and has since highlighted the pressures of being a coach in modern football. He revealed how he managed to stay passionate about his job despite these challenges.

"I see nothing particularly new; this has always been our job but the case of Jurgen Klopp is significant. The pressure continues, the burden of responsibility becomes too heavy, obsession takes over," he said. "I keep my passion; that's how I live the match, the game, my job; I've always carried this balance with me."

Ancelotti also reflected on overcoming difficult moments in his career. "I've overcome moments that weren't always positive; after my experience with Everton I was off the radar, they thought I was finished, I was old," he added.