Each member of Real Madrid’s Club World Cup squad will reportedly bank around a total of €280,000 ($330,000) as a reward for reaching the semifinals, although that only represents a fraction of the sum they could have earned if they had won the tournament.
From an institutional point of view, Real Madrid have been keen to support the newly expanded global jamboree. “This competition means a lot,” club president Florentino Pérez gushed ahead of the opening group game against Al Hilal.
“I want to thank FIFA and DAZN for making it possible for the best clubs in the world to compete in such a beautiful tournament. It’s the first Club World Cup under this format, and I’m convinced it will be a success. We’re all here full of excitement.”
Madrid were held to a 1–1 draw in that opener against the Saudi Arabia powerhouse which set the tone for their tournament. Xabi Alonso’s new side were clearly adapting to the demands of their incoming manager across group-stage victories over Pachuca and RB Salzburg. A 1–0 win over Juventus in the round of 16 set up a chaotic quarterfinal victory against Borussia Dortmund.
Thanks to FIFA’s swollen prize pot, Madrid earned an estimated $82.5 million for reaching the semifinals, yet only around 9% of that haul made its way into the pockets of the players.
According to MARCA’s breakdown, each player earned €50,000 ($59,000) for getting through the group stages, €80,000 ($94,000) for their last-16 win and a further €150,000 ($176,000) for the quarterfinal victory. Had Madrid gone on to lift the trophy closesly guarded by Donald Trump, there would have supposedly have been a cool €1 million ($1.2 million) on the table.
For comparison, Chelsea’s victors reportedly earned around $470,000 each for their global triumph.
The Blues managed to overcome a Paris Saint-Germain side which ruthlessly dismantled Real Madrid in the semis. A six-digit bonus won’t erase the embarrassment from the 4–0 pummelling dished out by Luis Enrique’s side.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Real Madrid’s Player Bonuses for Club World Cup Revealed.