The Dilemma between Player Protection and Biggest Cash Prizes

A famous proverb states, "there is no money worth a life," but it seems that FIFA, the world football federation, no longer pays heed to this. The new format of the Club World Cup truly sidelines player safety, particularly the looming threat of serious injuries. To entice clubs and players, FIFA offers bonuses totaling an accumulated value of 1 billion US dollars.

The 2025 Club World Cup is only two weeks away from the pinnacle match of the grandest stage in Europe, the UEFA Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain is separated by approximately 10 days since holding a celebration for their first European title in Paris.

Inter Milan has not yet fully recovered from the trauma of their winless season this year. Furthermore, they have not yet bid farewell to Simone Inzaghi, who has left to accept an offer from the Saudi Arabian club, Al-Hilal. "I Nerazzurri" must now fight again in an official tournament in the United States.

The majority of players from the 32 participating teams are also spread across their national teams for two international matches scheduled for June 3-11. Certainly, the players representing their countries have not yet had an ideal holiday after a long competitive season.

The players have not yet had the opportunity to sunbathe and party in Ibiza (Spain) or Mykonos (Greece), which are popular vacation spots for European players. After completing the competition with their clubs, they joined the national team.

The stars of PSG and Portugal, such as Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves, have yet to enjoy the titles of the Champions League and the UEFA Nations League. The three have rejoined Coach Luis Enrique in pursuit of the Club World Cup trophy.

The conditions experienced by the majority of players belonging to 12 European representatives in the Club World Cup have already violated their safety regulations. In a report by the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) titled "Minimum Player Workload Protection," released this June, there are 12 recommendations issued based on assessments from 70 medical and performance experts worldwide.

On the first point, FIFPRO recommends that players should be guaranteed a minimum of four weeks of rest between seasons without club or national team travel, training, or media commitments. Second, during that four-week period, players should be given a two-week black-out period, meaning no contact with their clubs or national teams.

Furthermore, FIFPRO also recommends that players train for a minimum duration of four weeks before resuming official competitions. In fact, during the mid-season break, FIFPRO requests a one-week hiatus for players without involvement with clubs or national teams.

If we consider the four recommendations regarding the competition break, the Club World Cup has already violated the recommendations from health experts who assist players in clubs and national teams. Consequently, the situation for players from European clubs is at high risk of suffering injuries during the tournament in the United States.

For example, Real Madrid still registered two defenders who are still suffering from injuries, namely David Alaba and Antonio Ruediger, in the lineup for the Club World Cup. Similarly, Bayern Munich has not received guarantees to field several key players, namely Dayot Upamecano, Hiroki Ito, Jamal Musiala, and Kim Min-jae, due to injuries in the second half of the 2024-2025 season.

It should not be forgotten that players from Manchester City and Chelsea will only have about two weeks of rest after participating in the Club World Cup before preparing to face the English Premier League 2025-2026. This is because the gap between the kickoff of the new Premier League season and the Club World Cup 2025 is only four weeks.

FIFPRO's Director of Health, Vincent Gouttebarge, hopes for concrete actions to ensure better safety for players in the future. He stated that there is no longer a need for negotiations to address the workload of players who are already in a high-risk industry for injuries.

"This study is based on well-considered and independent opinions from experts in the field of professional football who understand the mental and physical pressures faced by players. If we all agree that health is paramount, we must take steps to implement protections in accordance with this study," said Gouttebarge in a statement released on Thursday (12/6/2025).

Amid the serious injury threats looming over players during the tournament in the United States, clubs are certainly very eager to win the championship title. FIFA has prepared a bonus for all participating teams amounting to 1 billion US dollars. This figure represents the largest prize amount for a football club tournament.

The bonus value is divided into three categories. Before the teams compete in the 2025 Club World Cup, they will receive participation bonuses and solidarity payments distributed to all participants.

Additionally, there is a performance bonus based on the results within the tournament. If calculated, a champion team from Europe has the opportunity to bring home the iconic trophy wrapped in 24-karat gold and a prize money of 125 million US dollars or approximately 2.04 trillion rupiah.

As a comparison, Real Madrid received a cash prize of 154 million US dollars (Rp 2.51 trillion) when they became champions of the 2023-2024 Champions League. Although it appears larger than the Club World Cup, the bonus in the Champions League is obtained over a longer competition duration and a greater number of matches.

"The distribution model (of prize money) for the Club World Cup reflects the pinnacle of club football and represents the largest prize money for a football tournament. We are also providing solidarity investments that will undoubtedly lead to a significant enhancement in efforts to make football more global," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a statement on the FIFA website.