Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will represent the Bundesliga at the FIFA Club World Cup. In any case, the clubs will not lack motivation at the tournament, as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also knows.
For now, the world of club football is still all about the league, cup and European competition – but the Club World Cup is already on the horizon and the participating clubs are looking forward to a healthy income. “It’s also about money, a lot of money, and that’s another source of motivation,” said the long-standing CEO and current chairman of the record champions at a meeting of the Infinity League in Munich on Saturday.
A cash injection would not come amiss at Säbener Straße, especially since the club recently extended the contracts of key players such as Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies. “I mean, it’s well known that the last contract extensions were all quite decent,” said Rummenigge. ‘And if you then at least have the opportunity to earn a lot of money in a tournament, especially from round to round as you progress, then you should take the chance.’
It is also common knowledge that FIFA is willing to spend a tidy sum on its prestige project: the world governing body has already announced that it will distribute one billion US dollars (approximately 930 million euros) in prize money among the 32 participants in the new format.
Nobody would turn down the “beautiful trophy”
But money shouldn’t be the driving force for the Munich club; instead, it’s important for the team, coached by Vincent Kompany, to enjoy the tournament. Rummenigge says they should “go into the game motivated” and that no one in Munich would “turn down the chance to lift the beautiful trophy.”
But the new tournament also means that the already tight schedule will be even tighter and the top players will face even more pressure. Rummenigge does not see this as a major problem. “I like to quote my friend Franz Beckenbauer, who unfortunately is no longer with us, who always said it’s better to play than to train,” replied the 69-year-old.
The Club World Cup with 32 teams will be held from June 14 to July 13, 2025. Europe will provide the largest contingent with twelve teams, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund representing the Bundesliga. Bayern will face Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina) and Benfica Lisbon (Portugal) in the preliminary round.
