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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'There's No Incentive': Sounders Protest MLS's $1M Club World Cup Cap
'There's No Incentive': Sounders Protest MLS's $1M Club World Cup Cap originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Seattle Sounders players have unleashed chaos, by sporting "Club World Cash Grab" T-shirts before their clash with Minnesota United yesterday. They're demanding a fair cut of the $9.55 million in Club World Cup prize money ( MLS's particularly stingy payout rules have ignited this fiery revolt. Advertisement The Sounders, Inter Miami, and LAFC will battle in the 32-team Club World Cup, hosted across the U.S. from June 14 to July 13, 2025. Each club secures $9.55 million, though MLS caps player payouts at $1 million per team ( This clashes with global norms. Related: Is FIFA's Club World Cup the Biggest Flop in Soccer History? The MLS collective bargaining agreement, locked in 2021, predates the tournament's expansion. The MLSPA says players pushed for equitable talks, but MLS clings to the outdated deal ( Sounders' Stefan Frei told The Seattle Times, 'There's no incentive' with a 90-10 split. Sounding the alarm, players are calling out the MLS and asking for a fair share of the prize-pot.© Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Globally, players often pocket 50-70% of FIFA prize money. European clubs like PSG and Atlético Madrid, in Seattle's Group B, follow fairer models ( The Sounders' protest targets MLS's refusal to align with global norms, leaving players feeling cheated. Advertisement The MLSPA declared: 'Players elevate MLS globally' (MLSPA). FIFA's $1 billion prize pool, with $475 million performance-based, demands better splits. MLS's silence, citing ongoing negotiations, only stokes player fury. Seattle's 'Fair Share Now' T-shirts weren't just for show. Fans, including Emerald City Supporters, roared in support. MLS valuations soar—LAFC at $1.25 billion, Inter Miami at $1.2 billion ( yet player payouts stay miserly. This gap fuels the unrest. The Club World Cup, spanning seven MLS stadiums, is a global spotlight. Seattle faces Botafogo, Atlético Madrid, and PSG at Lumen Field, starting June 15 ( Unfair pay could sour this showcase. This clash could reshape MLS's future. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming, addressing player demands is critical. Will MLS evolve, or will the rebellion grow? Next: Is FIFA's Club World Cup the Biggest Flop in Soccer History? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Seattle Sounders Players Accuse MLS Of Club World Cup Cash Grab
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 01: Cristian Roldan #7 of the Seattle Sounders walks onto the field for ... More warm ups before the game against the Minnesota United FC at Lumen Field on June 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by) Seattle Sounders players wore t-shirts bearing the slogan 'Club World Cash Grab' ahead of their game against Minnesota United on Sunday night, as they seek bonuses more in fitting with the prize money received by clubs' participation in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The 's' was stylised as a dollar sign to represent the lucrative amounts of money on offer to clubs in the tournament, which players feel is out of step with the latest collective bargaining agreement between the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) and Major League Soccer (MLS). The players were quickly backed by the MLSPA, who had prepared a statement and released it to coincide with the unveiling of the t-shirts worn pre-match. 'The MLSPA and all MLS players stand united with the Seattle Sounders players who tonight demanded a fair share of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money,' read the MLSPA statement. 'FIFA's new tournament piles on to players' ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation. 'As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented financial windfall. Despite this windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.' SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 01: Captains Michael Boxall #15 of Minnesota United and Stefan Frei #24 ... More of Seattle Sounders pose with referees before the MLS match on June 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by) The Sounders qualified for the now expanded and quadrennial Club World Cup on the back of their landmark Concacaf Champions League victory in 2022. The latest collective bargaining agreement was last updated in 2021, prior to the Sounders' qualification for the Club World Cup and before the United States was confirmed as the tournament's host. As a result, Club World Cup bonus payments are not specifically mentioned by name in the current CBA, as other tournaments outside of MLS, such as the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Leagues Cup, the Campeones Cup, the US Open Cup, and the Canadian Championship are. The relevant wording in the current CBA for non-specific tournaments, applicable to the Club World Cup, is: 'If an MLS Team or MLS receives prize money by virtue of the Team's performance and/or participation in a Compulsory Tournament or Non-Compulsory Tournament, players competing in that tournament will receive the following: If the Team or MLS receives prize money, fifty percent (50%) of such prize money up to a maximum payment to the Players (collectively) of $1,000,000 per tournament.' The prize money on offer at the Club World Cup means the MLS teams involved will receive at least $9.55 million just for participation, and this could rise depending on results in group stage matches. A team qualifying for the knockout rounds would receive an additional $7.5 million, meaning a prize pot could soon reach $20 million for any team that progresses from its group. Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC join the Sounders as MLS representatives in the tournament, and though they will be underdogs in their respective groups, the $9.55 million for participation alone is substantial, and far more than the prize money MLS receives in any other tournament. This is where the maximum of $1 million in bonuses to be shared among an entire team begins to look paltry in comparison to the money the clubs and the league will receive. If there was no $1 million limit and the 50% arrangement remained in place, the guaranteed bonus pool from the $9.55 million would amount to over $4,7 million shared out between the players. It is for this reason that the players believe the Club World Cup renders the CBA out of date with regards to bonuses, and are looking to come to an agreement with the league in relation to this tournament. 'For months, the players have privately and respectfully invited the league to discuss bonus terms, yet MLS has failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal,' the MLSPA added in its statement. 'Instead of recognizing the players who have brought MLS to the global stage, the league—which routinely asks the PA to deviate from the CBA—is clinging to an out-of-date CBA provision and ignoring longstanding international standards on what players typically receive from FIFA prize money in global competitions. 'It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage. They expect to be treated fairly and with respect.' Players are being asked to play more games than ever before, and with all the money swilling around in the game, especially at the top level, it is only right that they seek their fair share for the additional work. A players' association, such as the MLSPA, is important in a league like MLS where a salary cap is in place and the amount most players can earn is artificially limited by that cap and other roster rules and restrictions. The players' issue is not with the Club World Cup itself, but with MLS for not coming to an agreement regarding bonus payments from what is an unusually lucrative tournament for its teams.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Seattle Sounders protest Club World Cup bonus structure with MLSPA support
The Seattle Sounders wore shirts in the warm-up for the team's game against Minnesota United on Sunday reading 'Club World Ca$h Grab,' in protest over the manner in which bonuses from participating in the Club World Cup are being distributed. Afterwards, the MLS Players Association released a statement expressing solidarity with the Sounders players who, according to the statement 'demanded a fair share of Fifa Club World Cup prize money.' 'Fifa's new tournament piles on to players' ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being,' the statement reads, before pointing out that Fifa will pay MLS teams large amounts (about $9.5m) to participate in the tournament. 'Despite this windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.' In addition to the $9.5m for participating in the tournament, clubs earn more based on performance in the games, drawing from a Fifa prize pool of around $475m. However, the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players stipulates that players can only earn 50% of bonuses from outside tournament, capped at $1m for the entire team. In effect, that makes for an initial 90/10 split of prize money, with the ratio potentially getting worse if MLS teams advance in the competition. The MLSPA said in its statement that the players have sought to meet with MLS to make changes to the arrangement, but that the league has 'failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal.' Fifa itself does not have any rules governing how teams distribute prize money between front office, players, and associated parties. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion The Club World Cup will feature three MLS teams: Inter Miami, who were nominated to the field by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, the Sounders and now Los Angeles FC, who qualified via a one-game playoff.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
Seattle Sounders players wear T-shirts to protest Club World Cup prize money distribution
Associated Press The Seattle Sounders players wore T-shirts before a match Sunday that read 'Club World Cup Ca$h Grab' to demand a share of the prize money for participating in the upcoming international tournament. The Sounders, one of 32 teams set to play in the Club World Cup later this month, wore the shirts before kickoff of their match against Minnesota United. Major League Soccer's Players Association issued a statement in solidarity with the protest. 'FIFA's new tournament piles on to players' ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation,' the MLSPA statement said. 'As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented windfall. Despite the windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.' The Sounders are among three MLS teams taking part in the Club World Cup, along with Inter Miami and LAFC. The tournament, which features an expanded field of club teams from around the globe, starts June 14 and will be played across 11 U.S. cities. The Sounders will earn $9.55 million as a club for participating in the tournament, with a chance to win additional prize money from wins. The MLSPA said the players have invited the league to discuss bonus terms but that 'MLS has failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal.' Currently, there is a provision of the collective bargaining agreement that caps how much prize money can go to players at $1 million. Major League Soccer declined to comment because negotiations with MLSPA are ongoing. The Sounders' starters posed for the pregame photo wearing the T-shirts, which also said 'Fair Share Now' on the back. 'It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage,' the MLSPA said in its statement. 'They expect to be treated fairly and with respect.' ___ AP soccer: recommended in this topic
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Seattle Sounders players wear T-shirts to protest Club World Cup prize money distribution
The Seattle Sounders players wore T-shirts before a match Sunday that read 'Club World Cup Ca$h Grab' to demand a share of the prize money for participating in the upcoming international tournament. The Sounders, one of 32 teams set to play in the Club World Cup later this month, wore the shirts before kickoff of their match against Minnesota United. Major League Soccer's Players Association issued a statement in solidarity with the protest. 'FIFA's new tournament piles on to players' ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation,' the MLSPA statement said. 'As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented windfall. Despite the windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.' The Sounders are among three MLS teams taking part in the Club World Cup, along with Inter Miami and LAFC. The tournament, which features an expanded field of club teams from around the globe, starts June 14 and will be played across 11 U.S. cities. The Sounders will earn $9.55 million as a club for participating in the tournament, with a chance to win additional prize money from wins. The MLSPA said the players have invited the league to discuss bonus terms but that 'MLS has failed to bring forward a reasonable proposal.' Currently, there is a provision of the collective bargaining agreement that caps how much prize money can go to players at $1 million. The Sounders' starters posed for the pregame photo wearing the T-shirts, which also said 'Fair Share Now' on the back. 'It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage,' the MLSPA said in its statement. 'They expect to be treated fairly and with respect.' ___
