Man City out of Club World Cup: Staggering amount shock Al-Hilal loss could cost Pep Guardiola's side revealed

After securing a safe passage through to the FIFA Club World Cup knockout rounds and topping Group G with three wins out of three, Manchester City entered their last-16 test with Al-Hilal in high spirits.

However, shortcomings at both ends of the pitch proved costly for Pep Guardiola’s side, as they suffered a shock 4-3 defeat after extra time against their Saudi Pro League counterparts to exit the tournament earlier than many anticipated.

The Citizens have nevertheless pocketed a tidy sum of money from the newly-expanded Club World Cup in the United States, and here, Sports Mole takes a look at their total earnings from the 2025 tournament.

Man City’s Club World Cup earnings broken down

Before a ball had been kicked, FIFA confirmed that all 32 teams competing at the Club World Cup would receive a participation fee for qualifying for the tournament.

The 12 European teams that qualified have taken home between £9.3m ($12.8m) and £27.3m ($38.2m) just for turning up in the States, and according to BBC Sport, Man City have earned the maximum fee.

Money awarded for participation is weighted by a ranking based on sporting and commercial criteria, meaning European teams will receive more for taking part than clubs from other continents.

In comparison, South American teams have pocketed around £11m, while clubs from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania have bagged just under £7m.

Man City earned the most money of all 32 teams during the group stage as they were the only side to win all three of their games, beating Wydad AC, Al-Ain and Juventus by an aggregate score of 13-2.

Guardiola’s men received £1.5m for each victory and an additional £5.5m for progressing to the last 16, taking their total earnings (including their participation fee) to £37.3m.

How much money have Man City missed out on? What impact will it have ahead of next season?

Defeat against Al-Hilal cost Man City £9.6m for failing to advance to the quarter-finals, while they could have earned an extra £54.1m in total had they gone all the way to win the tournament.

Securing a semi-final spot lands teams £15.3m and reaching the final but losing will earn clubs £21.9m, while winning the Club World Cup is worth £29.2m.

Had Man City bagged around £92m from winning the Club World Cup, they would have almost covered their entire summer spending spree of around £111.5m on new players.

Before landing in the USA, the Citizens spent an initial £31m to sign left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers and then completed deals for playmaker Rayan Cherki (£34m) and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders (£46.5m) from Lyon and AC Milan respectively.

Guardiola’s side are believed to be in the market for a new right-back ahead of the new season and while Tino Livramento remains one of their top target, Newcastle United’s valuation in excess of £70m is thought to be a stumbling block at present.

Progressing deeper into this summer’s tournament and earning more prize money could have persuaded Man City to splash the cash on the highly-rated Englishman, but they may now contemplate turning their attention to cheaper alternatives.

Looking further ahead, Man City will have to perform well domestically and on the continent over the next four years if they wish to earn their place at the next Club World Cup in 2029, where there will be another opportunity for clubs to earn a considerable amount of money.

Written by
Oliver Thomas