Inside FIFA’s $1.25 Billion Club World Cup Plan: Prize Money, Power Shifts, and the Global Game’s New Battleground

How FIFA’s record-breaking Club World Cup fund is redrawing the lines of global football influence, and why the money matters far beyond the pitch.

When FIFA announced a $1.25 billion financial package for the 2025 Club World Cup with up to $125 million for the winners, it didn’t just send a signal. It fired a warning shot across the bow of European football’s power players and reminded the rest of the world that the game’s future is up for grabs.

For decades, FIFA’s relationship with elite club foo…