Seattle Sounders Players Demand Fair Share of FIFA Club World Cup Prize Money

As the FIFA Club World Cup approaches, a major controversy has emerged involving the distribution of prize money among participating clubs. Seattle Sounders FC, one of three Major League Soccer (MLS) teams representing North America in the tournament, is calling for a fair share of the Club World Cup prize money. Ahead of their home game against Minnesota United on Sunday, the Sounders players wore T-shirts during warm-ups that read "Club World Cash Grab," with a picture of the "Monopoly" man holding a bag of money labeled "FIFA." The back of the shirt says "Fair Share Now." The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) has released a statement supporting the Sounders players' demands, stating that "The MLSPA and all MLS players stand united with the Seattle Sounders players who tonight demanded a fair share of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money." The association noted that one of the biggest controversies of the tournament is the added workload for participating clubs, and that in order to secure club and player participation, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money. Despite this windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves. Players have "privately and respectfully" tried to negotiate terms for bonuses with the league, but the league has not been receptive to their demands. The statement concludes that "it is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage. They expect to be treated fairly and with respect." Along with the Sounders, who made the tournament as a result of winning the CONCACAF Champions League title in 2022, MLS will also be represented by Inter Miami FC, the 2024 MLS Shield winners, and LAFC, which won a playoff game with Club América on Saturday. Seattle's Lumen Field is also one of 12 U.S. locations that will host the tournament, along with Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. Despite being up against European heavyweights like Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, Inter Milan, and more, the three MLS teams are not expected to make it past the group stage of the tournament. Regardless of its final result, MLS is set to make significant money from having teams take part. FIFA has promised $9.55 million in prize money to each North American club just for participating, with additional bonuses for wins and draws in the group stage and knockout round. FIFA's massive payouts are connected to the organization's commitment to making an appealing product, with a lot of money already on the line. In addition to the prize money, which can exceed $100 million for a European winner throughout the tournament, FIFA has regulations requiring all participating clubs to field teams at full strength. The tournament will be broadcast by DAZN, which agreed to cover the event after tepid responses from other networks. TNT and Univision are also broadcasting matches.