Spanish giant, Real Madrid is likely not to participate in this year World Club Cup tournament, BEYOND AFRICA gathered.
This was made known by the club manager Carlo Ancelotti while citing dissatisfaction with the competition’s prize money.
Ancelotti while speaking to Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Ancelotti said, “Real Madrid will NOT go to the FIFA World Club, we will reject the invitation like other clubs.”
“Just one single Real Madrid match is worth €20m, and they want to give us that money for the whole competition… no way. Negative,” Ancelotti told Il Giornale.
The tournament follows a straight knockout format over two weeks, with the champions from Oceania facing the host nation’s champions in a play-off. The winners join the champions from Asia, Africa, and North America in the quarter-finals. The European and South American champions enter at the semi-final stage.
Real Madrid holds the record for most titles with five wins. Spanish clubs have been the most successful with eight titles, while English clubs have won the tournament four times. The current champions are Manchester City, who defeated Fluminense 4-0 in the 2023 final.
The next competition is scheduled to be held in 2025.
