Chelsea wins Club World Cup: More than glory is the billion dollar bonus

VHO - The 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey) not only helped Chelsea win the expanded Club World Cup title for the first time, but also brought them huge financial profits - proving that global club tournaments are entering a new era, where money and reputation go hand in hand.

Cole Palmer celebrates after scoring Chelsea's opening goal in the 2025 Club World Cup final against PSG at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. The 2002-born player scored twice and had an assist, becoming the brightest star of the match.

Palmer – the symbol of the new Chelsea

Against a PSG team in good form and having just won the Champions League, Chelsea did not show any sign of being outclassed. On the contrary, they played energetic football, inspired by Cole Palmer - a name that is currently very popular in the foggy country.

Palmer scored two goals and assisted one for new signing Joao Pedro, helping Chelsea close the final in absolute dominance.

A deft touch and low shot in the 22nd minute was the opening greeting, followed by a finish from the edge of the box to double the lead.

The highlight was a sharp pass for Joao Pedro to chip the ball over Donnarumma's head, sealing the score in the first half.

After the match, Palmer's image was further highlighted as a symbol of a resurgent Chelsea under Enzo Maresca.

For PSG, this defeat left many questions. Despite having a squad that had defeated Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and Aston Villa to win the European title, the French representative could not gain control over Chelsea.

They missed chances when the game was still balanced and gradually lost control, both in terms of the game and spirit. The climax was when Joao Neves pulled Cucurella's hair, which resulted in the midfielder being sent off after VAR intervention.

After the final whistle, coach Luis Enrique was caught slapping Joao Pedro in the face during the chaos, forcing substitute Kimpembe to intervene. Enrique later explained that he was only trying to “stop the fight”.

Coach Enzo Maresca holds the 2025 Club World Cup trophy aloft with the Chelsea coaching staff after a 3-0 win over PSG. This is the Italian strategist's first major trophy since leading The Blues.

Billion Dollar Bonus: Chelsea Goes Big, Auckland City Hits Jackpot

This year’s tournament has a staggering total prize fund of $1 billion (£726 million). Of which:

• 525 million USD divided among 32 participating teams,

• 475 million USD divided by performance.

Chelsea was the biggest beneficiary, taking home about $116 million, while runner-up PSG received about $108 million.

European teams as a whole have an average prize money of around $54 million, thanks to the UEFA coefficient which boosts participation prizes. Meanwhile, South American representatives like Fluminense also pocket an average of around $33 million.

But the biggest shock came from Auckland City – a semi-professional club in New Zealand. With around $4.5 million in revenue, seven times their 2024 revenue (only around $673,000), the Oceania representative suddenly became a domestic "giant".

However, football finance expert Kieran Maguire warned: “They have so much money now, it would be difficult for any team in New Zealand to compete if Auckland City invested in the squad. This is not good for the balance of the National Championship.”

Leverage for summer transfers

Beyond the glory of the title, the Club World Cup also gives many teams more breathing room in the transfer market. With UEFA regulations limiting spending on wages, transfers and agent fees to 70% of revenue, the extra income from the tournament means more spending power.

• Borussia Dortmund, who reached the quarter-finals, earned more than 65% of their total summer transfer spending (around $80 million) thanks to the US tournament, thereby completing the payment of Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland ($37 million).

• Chelsea spent about 273 million USD to buy people like Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and have offset 116 million USD from the Club World Cup.

• Even though Man City was eliminated from the round of 16, they still earned about 52 million USD, enough to pay for the Rayan Ait-Nouri deal ($43 million) from Wolves.

• Real Madrid also used the bonus to pay about $12 million to buy Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool a month ahead of schedule.

The tournament has obvious financial benefits, but also raises concerns. Maguire said: “The accountants are happy, but the fans, players and coaches are not so sure. We are approaching a crisis in player welfare. Conflict between owners and players could erupt if this trend continues.”

With the new Club World Cup, club football is entering an era where glory is measured in trophies... and balance sheets.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/chelsea-dang-quang-club-world-cup-hon-ca-vinh-quang-la-khoan-thuong-ty-do-151865.html