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New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Sources: MLS, players reached new Club World Cup bonus agreement
Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association reached an agreement on restructured bonus compensation for the Club World Cup during the tournament, multiple sources briefed on the deal told The Athletic. MLS agreed to pay the players a minimum 40% increase over the $1 million that was previously spelled out in the collective bargaining agreement. In addition, players received 30% of all Club World Cup performance prize money without any cap on the achievable amount. LAFC also received $250,000 for its play-in victory over Club América, which earned the club a spot in the tournament after Club León was expelled. Advertisement The agreement was reached on June 27, two days before Inter Miami played PSG in the knockout phase of the tournament. 'This agreement provided meaningful enhancements that go well beyond what is required by our CBA and deliver substantial value to the players,' MLS chief communications officer Dan Courtemanche said. 'The league provided the players with the most lucrative bonus package in the tournament.' The current CBA required the league to pay out a maximum of $1 million in bonus money for the Club World Cup, but the unprecedented prize pool and expanded format of the tournament did not exist when the CBA was agreed. Concacaf teams each received $9.55 million for participation, with another $2 million per win and $1 million per draw on offer – plus another $7.5 million if they advanced to the round of 16 (and additional bonuses if they advanced further, which none wound up doing). As such, the league and MLSPA agreed to negotiate a new bonus structure. The talks stretched out to the start of the tournament and beyond, with both sides voicing frustration at the opposition's approach. 'While we were ultimately able to reach an agreement, players were deeply disappointed with the league's approach to the negotiation,' the MLSPA said in a statement provided by a spokesperson. 'Stonewalling, threats and retaliation will not be effective strategies as we move into the major negotiations ahead of us.' The league and union could be engaged soon in CBA talks. The agreement expires Jan. 31, 2028, but the league is weighing major changes to its structure that could determine its growth trajectory coming out of the 2026 World Cup. Some of those changes — including flipping to a fall-spring calendar and some potential roster rule changes — would require MLSPA approval. The negotiations over bonus money spilled into public view when the Seattle Sounders wore T-shirts that said, 'Club World Cash Grab' on the front during warm-ups ahead of an MLS game before the start of the tournament. Seattle owner Adrian Hanauer angrily confronted the players over the protest after the game, according to reports. Advertisement The Sounders lost all three of their Club World Cup games at home, falling 2-1 to Brazilian side Botafogo, 3-1 to Spanish giant Atlético Madrid and closing out with a 2-0 loss to Champions League winner and eventual finalist PSG. Despite failing to get a result, the Sounders players collectively were paid $1.4 million in bonuses. LAFC earned one point in the group stage, falling to Tunisian side Espérance and eventual champion Chelsea, while tying Brazilian side Flamengo. Its players received $1.25 million for participating, plus the $250,000 for qualifying and another $300,000 for their 1-1 draw with Flamengo for a total of $1.8 million in bonuses. Inter Miami was the lone MLS side to win a game in the tournament, courtesy of a Lionel Messi free kick against Portuguese side Porto, and the only team to advance out of the group stage after winning once and drawing twice in group play. Miami players received $1.25 million for participating, another $1.2 million in prize money for their group stage results and $2.25 million for advancing to the knockout stage for a total of $4.7 million in bonuses. MLS also allowed owners to convert up to $750,000 of their Club World Cup payouts into allocation money, which is used on roster budget functions. All three teams elected to max out that option.
Canada Standard
04-06-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
MLS eyeing bigger presence in China, says communications chief
NEW YORK, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Major League Soccer (MLS) is looking to expand its global footprint, with China emerging as a market of interest. "We welcome more engagement from Chinese fans," said Dan Courtemanche, Chief Communications Officer of MLS, during a briefing on Tuesday at the New York Foreign Press Center in response to a question from Xinhua. "There are certainly a lot of passionate football fans in that country, and we think there's an opportunity there." Courtemanche acknowledged that players from China are rarely featured in the league, but he said MLS would like to change that. "We'd love to see more players [from China]," he added, noting that the league currently features players from around 80 countries and regions. Looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, Courtemanche called the tournament "rocket fuel" for the league. 11 of the 13 U.S. host cities are home to MLS clubs. The league is also looking to invest in the next generation through programs such as MLS NEXT (youth development), MLS NEXT Pro (professional feeder league), and MLS GO (recreational youth football). All of these were launched in the last five years. "We started because FIFA said, 'You need a Division I league to host the [1994] World Cup,'" Courtemanche said. "Now, 30 years later, we've not only built that league - we've built a football nation." Courtemanche noted that international engagement is often player-led, though global brands can also play a significant role. "Generally, it comes through players, but sometimes it comes through big global brands," he said, citing Inter Miami's off-season tour through the Middle East and Asia - led by Lionel Messi and several other international stars - as an example of outreach beyond the Americas. To reach global audiences, MLS has partnered with Apple TV, which streams matches in more than 100 countries with no blackout restrictions. "My 13-year-old son doesn't watch linear television," Courtemanche said. "He goes to Netflix, he goes to Amazon, he goes to Apple TV, and increasingly, so does much of our audience." Founded in 1996 as a legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, MLS has grown from 10 to 30 clubs across the U.S. and Canada. More than 10 billion U.S. dollars has been invested in football-specific infrastructure, with teams moving from oversized American football stadiums to football-specific venues.
