The new-look Club World Cup begins in 2025
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Real Madrid will reject any invitation to play in next year’s Club World Cup.
The tournament has moved away from its old format and will now feature 32 teams and will be played across four weeks in the US next summer following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Instead of being played every year, the Club World Cup will now take place every four years.
Madrid were expected to be one of the sides playing in the competition having won five out of the last nine Champions League finals but Ancelotti has confirmed that Los Blancos have no intention to take part and that other teams will follow suit.
“FIFA forgets that the clubs and players will not participate in that tournament,” Ancelotti said in an interview with Il Giornale via Relevo.
“A single Real Madrid match is worth €20m (£17m) and they want to give us that money for the entire competition. Negative.
“Real Madrid, like other clubs, we will decline the invitation.”
Club World Cup expansion criticised by league chiefs
FIFA have come under fire for relaunching the Club World Cup and several league bosses have threatened to boycott the competition – including the Premier League and LaLiga,
League chiefs have accused the world governing body of “killing the game” while PFA boss Maheta Molango has warned that legal action may be taken if FIFA don’t withdraw their decision.
“Those who run the game need to listen,” he told The Sun. “If they don’t, then as unions we have a responsibility to the players to take action — and the legal route is the next step.
“The governing bodies have had every chance to meaningfully engage with us on this, but they have failed to do so. Current player workloads are unsustainable.”
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