Manchester City triumphs 2-0 – Real Madrid on the brink!

Manchester City triumphs 2-0 – Real Madrid on the brink!

On June 18, 2025, the Football Club World Cup began in Miami with exciting games. Manchester City was in top form and won 2-0 over Wydad AC. Phil Foden scored in the 2nd minute from a rebound, while Jerremy Doku scored the second goal in the 42nd minute from a corner. Coach Pep Guardiola was pleased with the arrival of his new assistant coach Pep Lijnders, who celebrated his competitive debut. Despite a red card for Rico Lewis in the 88th minute, City remained confident. In their group they also have to deal with Al Ain from the UAE and Juventus.

At the same time, Real Madrid played against Al Hilal in the Salzburg group. The game ended 1-1 after Gonzalo Garcia gave Madrid the lead in the 34th minute (assist: Rodrygo). Al Hilal equalized just before half-time through a penalty from Ruben Neves, which was caused by a foul from Raul Asencio. In stoppage time, Federico Valverde missed another penalty, which was saved by Al Hilal goalkeeper Bono. It will now be important for Real Madrid to score points in their next group game against Pachuca as the team is under pressure. It was noticeable that David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger were not in the squad due to injuries, so Asencio and Dean Huijsen acted as a central defender duo.

Prize money and financial aspects

This year's Club World Cup is not only important in terms of sport, but also financially. A total of 1 billion US dollars (approx. 926 million euros) in prize money will be distributed at this championship. Of that, $525 million is guaranteed, regardless of the teams' performance criteria. For European participants, the entry fee ranges from 12.81 to 38.19 million USD, while teams from Oceania, for example, receive 3.58 million USD.

• Afrika, Asien, Nord-, Mittelamerika und Karibik: je 9,55 Millionen USD
• Südamerika: 15,21 Millionen USD

Additionally, each team in the group stage will receive $2 million for a win and $1 million for a draw. In comparison, the Champions League winner can receive up to 160 million euros for at least 16 games, underlining the financial attractiveness of the tournament. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also announced a “groundbreaking global solidarity model” that will provide $250 million for club football worldwide, with all proceeds going directly to clubs without retaining any funds from FIFA.

The participating teams in this Club World Cup, such as Manchester City and Real Madrid, are under enormous pressure not only to fight in sport but also for a share of the lucrative prize money. The financial differences in football are not always decisive for sporting success, as the past Champions League seasons have shown. Still, clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have proven that financial strength doesn't always translate into a title, especially at crucial moments.