Real Madrid clarify FIFA Club World Cup 2025 participation stance

Real Madrid have clarified their stance on participation at the FIFA Club World Cup next summer. Carlo Ancelotti recently spoke out that Madrid would not partake in the newly expanded tournament, fresh after winning the Champions League for the 15th time.

Ancelotti said that “FIFA can forget about Real Madrid playing in the competition, and that they would reject the invitation”. The Italian also mentioned that the payout was significantly lower than what they received from other organisations for their participation.

Real Madrid clarify stance on FIFA Club World Cup participation

🚨 Carlo Ancelotti: “In my interview with Il Giornale, my words about the FIFA Club World Cup have not been interpreted in the way I intended”.

“Nothing could be further from my interest than rejecting the possibility of playing a tournament that I think can be a great… pic.twitter.com/5FBg0PtFna

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 10, 2024

“In my interview with Il Giornale, my words about the Fifa Club World Cup were not interpreted in the way I intended.

“Nothing could be further from my interest than to reject the possibility of playing in a tournament that I consider could be a great opportunity to continue fighting for big titles with Real Madrid.”

The FIFA Club World Cup has faced a lot of criticism from fans, managers and players, adding to an already packed fixture which includes an expanded Champions League format. The new Club World Cup format will consist of 12 teams, and will take place from June to July next year.