Chelsea FC emerged victorious in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday, defeating Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at MetLife Stadium. While the immediate prize for winning was $40 million, Chelsea’s total earnings from the tournament will exceed $110 million, thanks to FIFA’s massively expanded format.
FIFA injected a colossal $1 billion into this first-ever revamped Club World Cup, which featured 32 teams from around the globe and was hosted in the United States. A significant portion, $525 million, was distributed as participation fees, with the remaining $475 million allocated for performance bonuses.
Chelsea’s prize money alone totaled $85.625 million, accumulating through each round they advanced. This is in addition to an estimated $25 million to $35 million participation bonus (exact figures were not disclosed by FIFA), bringing the English Premier League club’s total winnings to well over $110 million.
Runner-up PSG also secured a substantial payout, taking home $75.625 million in prize money, including $30 million for their final appearance. With a likely similar participation bonus to Chelsea, PSG’s total earnings from the tournament also surpassed $100 million.
The final match at MetLife Stadium drew a crowd of over 80,000 fans, including an appearance by U.S. President Donald Trump, who was invited by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Adding to FIFA’s growing U.S. presence, the organization recently announced the opening of a new office at Trump Tower in New York. Governor Murphy also expressed his confidence that next year’s FIFA World Cup final, also set to be held at MetLife Stadium, will be the “most-watched event in human history.”
TBS broadcast the Club World Cup final on U.S. cable television as part of TNT Sports’ media rights deal. DAZN, which paid $1 billion to stream the tournament globally, also aired matches. Final viewership figures are expected to be released later this week.
