The Club World Cup has already kicked off, and for Real Madrid, the action begins on Wednesday, June 18. The team’s goal is to reach the final on July 13 and win a title that, in addition to its sporting importance and the boost it would give to Xabi Alonso’s project, would be a significant financial windfall for the club, which will be adding money to the coffers from day one.
This is how the group stage will look for Real Madrid
Real Madrid, as we said, begins its journey in the Club World Cup on June 18. Xabi Alonso’s team is in Group H, alongside three of the most traditional clubs in the Middle East, North America, and Central Europe: Al Hilal, Pachuca, and Salzburg, respectively.
Real Madrid’s schedule:
- Matchday 1: Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (Wednesday, June 18, 9:00 p.m. Spanish time).
- Matchday 2: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte (Sunday, June 22, 9:00 p.m. Spanish time).
- Matchday 3: Salzburg-Real Madrid, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (Friday, June 27, 3:00 a.m. Spanish time).
To advance to the next round, Real Madrid must finish among the top two teams in the group. Depending on their position, they will face one of two paths in the round of 16.
The road gets tougher in the round of 16
As mentioned above, the top two teams qualify and go on to compete in the round of 16 between June 28 and July 1. If Real Madrid finishes first in Group H, it will face the second-place team in Group G, again in Miami on Tuesday, July 1, at 9:00 p.m. Group G consists of Manchester City, Juventus, Wydad AC, and Al Ain. If they finish second in the group, they will face the first-placed team in Group G on June 30 at 4 a.m. in Orlando.
If they continue to advance, the quarter-finals will be on July 4 and 5, the semi-finals on July 8 and 9, and the final on Sunday, July 13, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The millions that Real Madrid could earn
Financially, the Club World Cup is very attractive for participating teams, as they can start filling their coffers from day one, with the winner receiving a stratospheric sum. Just for participating, Real Madrid will receive a fixed €35 million. In addition, each victory in the group stage will earn them $2 million (€1,748,106). In the event of a draw, this money is split: one million for each team (€874,053). Once qualified, a win in the round of 16 will earn $7.5 million (€7 million), and if the victory comes in the quarterfinals, $13.125 million (€12 million). From there, the figures begin to reach astronomical heights: the semi-finals are worth $21 million (€20 million) and the final, $40 million (€37 million).
In total, and in the hypothetical case that Xabi Alonso’s team manages to win the first Club World Cup, the figure could be around $145 million. It is therefore not surprising that Florentino Pérez has approved an initial payment of $1 million per player if they bring the title to Real Madrid’s trophy cabinet to accompany the 15 Champions League trophies.