The Spanish giants could have earned $140 million from the proposed tour, significantly more than the prize money offered in the Champions League.
Champions League prize money varies from season to season. In the most recent 2024-2025 season, after the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) changed the format, increasing the number of teams from 32 to 36, champions PSG earned approximately $160 million for their 17-match journey.
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Real Madrid players lift the Champions League trophy after defeating Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium, London, England on the evening of 1/6/2024. Photo: AP |
Despite the financial stability and reduced sporting risk of the global tour proposal, Real Madrid's management rejected it. They reportedly still prioritize the value of the Champions League title, considered the world's premier club competition, despite ongoing legal disputes with UEFA since the collapse of the Super League project in 2021. The La Liga representative didn't even participate in the feedback survey regarding the first season of the 36-team Champions League format.
Details of the controversial proposal were revealed in a new chapter of the book "States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football", updated on 7/8. The book addresses football in the age of authoritarianism, the influence of billionaires and politics on the sport, and the phenomenon known as the "smart billionaire syndrome"—where individuals successful in other fields believe they also understand football.
Some managers revealed they had received instructions on team lineups from club owners—something previously only seen in semi-professional teams.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) presents US President Donald Trump with the key to the new version of the FIFA Club World Cup at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, US on 7/3/2025. Photo: AP |
The author warns that football could be entering a new phase, where domestic leagues gradually lose value, making way for new competitions like the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup and highly commercialized tournaments.
The book also reveals that the FIFA Council, the organization's most powerful body, was not informed in advance about Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, appearing at the Club World Cup draw in 12/2024. This incident raised concerns about the personal relationship between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the Trump administration, and also raised concerns about the future of modern football, where commercial, political, and globalization factors are overshadowing pure sporting values.
Hong Duy (according to Independent)
