Chelsea’s Billion-Ringgit Victory Has Football Fans Buzzing
From mamak table talks to midnight streams, Malaysian football fans were glued to the screen as Chelsea stunned PSG to win the revamped FIFA Club World Cup 2025. But beyond Cole Palmer’s brilliance and the roaring crowd in New York, one thing got tongues wagging: the jaw-dropping USD 1 billion prize pool.
Yup, you read that right. It’s not just about bragging rights anymore — this tournament has officially changed the financial game of club football.
Let’s break down what the new Club World Cup format means, how much Chelsea is taking home, and why this matters to football fans across the globe — especially here in Malaysia.
What Is the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Format?
FIFA reimagined the Club World Cup into a blockbuster 32-team tournament, mirroring the FIFA World Cup format. Here’s how it works now:
- 32 teams qualify through continental trophies and coefficient rankings.
- Split into eight groups of four.
- Top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.
- All knockout matches are single-leg eliminations.
Unlike the previous seven-team December format, this revamped edition — first proposed in 2019 and postponed due to COVID-19 — finally made its grand debut in the USA in 2025.
⚽ “This format gives clubs from Asia, Africa, and beyond a bigger stage,” says football analyst Farhan Azmi of StadiumMY. “It’s the most global club competition we’ve seen to date.”
The final showdown? Chelsea vs PSG at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey — and it didn’t disappoint.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Prize Money Breakdown
According to FIFA, this year’s tournament featured a USD 1 billion (RM4.7 billion) prize pool — a colossal leap from the USD 16 million in 2023.
Here’s what we know about the new money game:
💰 Estimated Prize Distribution (Unofficial Breakdown)
| Stage | Estimated Prize (USD) |
|---|---|
| Champions (Chelsea) | $100 million |
| Runners-up (PSG) | $75 million |
| Semi-finalists | $50 million each |
| Quarter-finalists | $25 million each |
| Round of 16 | $10 million each |
| Group Stage Participants | $5–8 million each |
💸 “We’re seeing club football entering an NBA or NFL-like commercial era,” says Rajiv Prakash, a sports finance researcher. “It’s only going to grow from here.”
That means Chelsea didn’t just lift a trophy — they walked away with RM470 million (approx.) in prize money. And that’s not even counting sponsorships, bonuses, and broadcast revenue.
