Major League Soccer players want more money for participating in the FIFA Club World Cup later this month, but say they have received pushback from the league in their efforts.
Three MLS clubs — Seattle, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC — will represent the league in the tournament, which begins June 14 and will be hosted in the United States.
FIFA’s Club World Cup boasts a $1 billion prize pool — $475 million disbursed based on performance, and $525 million given to participating teams. The winner will take home at least $125 million. The MLS teams will make at least $9.5 million just for participating, while wins during each stage of the tournament will only drive up the possible earnings.
However, MLS players earn 50 percent of money earned from outside tournaments — capped at $1 million, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
The MLS Players Association released a statement shortly after the Sounders players display.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.
“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. Instead of recognizing the players who have brought MLS to the global stage, the league – which routinely asks the (player association) to deviate from the (collective bargaining agreement) – is clinging to an out-of-date CBA provision and ignoring longstanding international standards on what players typically receive from FIFA prize money in global competitions.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.”
Messi and Inter Miami will play in the Club World Cup opener against Egyptian club Al Alhy on June 14 in Miami. Inter Miami will also play FC Porto (Portugal) on June 19 in Atlanta, and SE Palmeiras (Brazil) on June 23 in the group stage.
The Sounders will play all three of their group stage matches at home in Lumen Field in Seattle. They’ll face Botafogo (Brazil) on June 15, Atletico Madrid (Spain) on June 19, then Paris Saint-Germain (France) on June 23.
LAFC became the last team to enter the Club World Cup after a thrilling 2-1 win against Liga MX standouts Club America on Saturday night. They will face Chelsea (England) in Atlanta on June 16, Espérance (Tunisia) in Nashville on June 20 and CR Flamengo (Brazil) in Orlando on June 24 during the group stage.
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