Carlo Ancelotti Confirms Real Madrid’s Decision to Opt Out of Club World Cup

Real Madrid will reject FIFA’s invitation to participate in the upcoming Club World Cup, citing inadequate compensation from the governing body, manager Carlo Ancelotti announced. Despite being 15-time Champions League winners, the financial offer does not meet the club’s valuation, Ancelotti explained.

FIFA’s newly revamped international tournament, set to feature 32 teams, will be hosted in the United States at the end of next season. Among the participants will be the 12 highest-ranked European clubs.

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Ancelotti, renowned as one of Europe’s most successful football managers with three Club World Cup victories and five Champions League titles, expressed his firm stance. “FIFA can forget it; footballers and clubs will not participate in that tournament,” Ancelotti told the Italian daily Il Giornale in an interview published on Monday, coinciding with his 65th birthday.

“A single Real Madrid match is worth 20 million, and FIFA wants to offer us that amount for the entire tournament. That’s unacceptable. Like us, other clubs will also refuse the invitation,” Ancelotti stated.

Ancelotti, who guided Real Madrid to a Champions League and La Liga double last season, also commented on the increasing pressures on managers but noted he has maintained his passion for the job. “I don’t see anything particularly new; this has always been part of our job. However, the case of (former Liverpool manager Jurgen) Klopp is notable. The pressure is relentless, the weight of responsibility becomes overwhelming, and obsession takes over,” he said.

“I maintain my passion. That’s how I approach the match, the game, my job. I’ve always carried this balance with me. I’ve overcome challenging times; after my stint with Everton, I was considered out of the picture, thought to be finished, too old,” Ancelotti reflected.

The expansion of all three European club competitions to 36 teams from next season has raised concerns about oversaturating the football calendar, bringing the Club World Cup under scrutiny.

In May, FIFA declared they would not reschedule the 32-team Club World Cup, despite threats of legal action from the global players’ union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA) if their plans were not reconsidered.