The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States wasn’t just a shot at silverware for Chelsea. It was a financial jackpot. With a prize pool of $1 billion on offer, the revamped tournament handed out rewards that rivaled even the Champions League. Chelsea’s run to the final, capped by a potential title win, became one of the most lucrative campaigns in the club’s history.
Prize money by round
Before even kicking a ball, Chelsea banked around $33 million in participation fees. That figure, determined by UEFA club rankings, reflected their Champions League-winning pedigree and commercial strength.
From there, the earnings only grew. The group stage offered $2 million per win, and Chelsea picked up $4 million after beating LAFC and Espérance de Tunis. Advancing to the round of 16 added $7.5 million, with another $13.125 million for the quarterfinals and $21 million more for the semifinal win over Fluminense.
Just by reaching the final, Chelsea secured an additional $30 million. A victory would have pushed that to $40 million. All told, Chelsea’s total Club World Cup earnings landed somewhere between $134 million and $149 million, depending on the final result.
How Chelsea compared to the field
Only Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea’s opponent in the final, earned a comparable sum. Their participation fee and bonuses totaled roughly $88 million before kickoff in the final. The winner’s bonus was the swing factor between a strong haul and a historic one.
Manchester City, the defending champions, were knocked out in the round of 16. Even with the highest participation fee, they departed with closer to $50 million. Real Madrid and Fluminense, the other semifinalists, earned around $87 million and $61 million respectively.
Even clubs that failed to exit the group stage didn’t leave empty-handed. River Plate and Boca Juniors earned around $17 to $18 million. Auckland City, representing Oceania, earned approximately $4.5 million just for participating.
Financial relief at the perfect time
Chelsea’s windfall couldn’t have come at a better moment. Under scrutiny from the Premier League and UEFA for financial rule breaches, the club was recently fined €31 million by UEFA for overspending and violating sustainability regulations. The Club World Cup prize money offers a timely and sizable offset.
Premier League profitability and sustainability rules cap allowable losses at £105 million over three years. Chelsea’s most recent financial reports showed more than £210 million in losses over just two seasons. The Club World Cup injection is a significant revenue boost that should help close that gap.
Fans were quick to make the connection. On Reddit and Twitter, supporters joked that the tournament effectively paid for summer arrivals like João Pedro and Jamie Gittens. Others pointed out that the money might be what prevents further punishments from governing bodies.
A new global priority
The expanded Club World Cup is already reshaping priorities. Clubs now have a compelling incentive to qualify and compete on a global stage. The prize money on offer dwarfs what’s available domestically. For comparison, the FA Cup winner earns about £2 million. Chelsea made more than that in each knockout round.
FIFA’s model, however, has raised scheduling concerns. With the tournament extending into mid-July, players have little time to recover before the new domestic season. Player unions have expressed concern over workload, and the Premier League declined Chelsea’s request for fixture relief.
Still, the message is clear. The Club World Cup is no longer just a prestige play. It’s a financial power play. Chelsea won big in the United States—and not just on the pitch.
