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MADRID — Hours after manager Carlo Ancelotti's comment about skipping the FIFA Club World Cup, Champions League winner Real Madrid have confirmed their participation in the tournament to be held next year. In a statement released by the Spanish giants on Monday, the club said they will "compete as planned" with the "utmost enthusiasm".
Real Madrid have sealed their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup after lifting their 15th Champions League trophy by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final.
"Real Madrid CF announces that at no time has its participation in the new Club World Cup to be organised by FIFA in the upcoming 2024/2025 season has been questioned. Therefore, our club will compete, as planned, in this official competition that we face with pride and with the utmost enthusiasm to make our millions of fans around the world dream again with a new title," the La Liga champions said in a statement on Monday.
Earlier, Ancelotti had said Real and other clubs will "reject" FIFA's invitation to play in the next year's tournament. "FIFA can forget about that. Footballers and clubs will not participate in that tournament. A single Madrid match is worth 20 million Euros, and FIFA wants to give us that figure for the entire tournament: negative. Like us, several clubs will reject the invitation,” Ancelotti was quoted as saying by Italian outlet Il Giornale.
The Club World Cup has introduced a new format in which 32 teams from around the world, including the top 12 teams in Europe, are scheduled to compete in the new tournament in the June-July window next year.
Many clubs have criticised this decision, with the players’ workload and playing days already being higher than ever due to the new UEFA Champions League format.