Carlo Ancelotti is a club man and a very cautious professional. In June 2024, he gave an interview to Il Giornale. In it, he confirmed unequivocally that Real Madrid wouldn't be going to the Club World Cup.
This is what Ancelotti said: "FIFA forgets and the players and clubs won't participate in this tournament," he said, referring to the new Club World Cup that FIFA is preparing.
"A Single Real Madrid Match is Worth 20 Million"
"A single Real Madrid match is worth 20 million and FIFA wants to give us that amount for the entire cup. Negative. Just like us, other clubs will reject the invitation."
That's what Ancelotti said. It's hard to believe he was so blunt since up to then he wasn't involved in the subject within the Real Madrid leadership.
Hours later, Real Madrid was forced to issue an official statement denying their coach's claim, something very unusual:
Florentino Wants More Money. Otherwise, Real Madrid is Not Going
"Real Madrid CF announces that at no time has its participation in the new Club World Cup that FIFA will organize in the upcoming 2024/2025 season been questioned," it read.
"Our club will therefore compete in this official competition as planned. We are approaching it with pride and the utmost enthusiasm to make our millions of fans around the world dream of winning another title."
It was the right thing to do so as not to open a new conflict with FIFA. However, Ancelotti knew what he was talking about.
Florentino Pérez is fed up with loaning Real Madrid to UEFA and FIFA for them to fill their pockets. Under the current conditions, he has no intention of participating in the Club World Cup.
Another story is whether FIFA will reach an agreement with the clubs between now and June 15, the start date of the tournament. The distribution of money must also arrive to a compromise. Real Madrid is clear that it can't participate in exchange for a tip.
In addition, it means a significant overload of matches for his players, who will end the season exhausted.
Real Madrid is currently negotiating this with FIFA. It's a new format, with 32 teams, which will be held from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
Ancelotti Knew What He was Talking about
Ancelotti's denial sounded at the time as not very credible. He complained that his words were misinterpreted, although it is hard to believe that such statements were published without being in line with reality. They were too striking.
This is how Ancelotti explained it: "My words about the FIFA Club World Cup have't been interpreted in the way I intended," he said on his X account.
He added: "Nothing is further from my interest than to reject the possibility of competing in a tournament that could be a great opportunity to continue fighting for major titles."
Now it's time to remain cautious, despite Ancelotti's leak. But if the financial agreement is not reached, Florentino Pérez will not hesitate to call off. He didn't hesitate to cancel the trip of 50 people to Paris, either.