FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed his opinions regarding the biennial World Cup. He says it would offer more opportunities to players around the globe and could prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean Sea to migrate to Europe.

According to the UN International Organization for Migration, over 1,100 migrants died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2021.

While speaking to the Council of Europe, Infantino argued that the World Cup should be held every two years. Instead of every four years, which has been going on since its inception in 1950.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the Biennial World Cup

"We need to find ways to include the entire world," Infantino said. "To give hope to Africans so that they don't need to cross the Mediterranean to find maybe a better life, but more probably dead in the sea."- Infantino.

Infantino said that most of the top players and the majority of the facilities for football are based in Europe. According to him, the biennial World Cup would give players of other nationalities more opportunities globally and more countries the opportunity to host. The generation of $4.4 billion in revenue that the change in format would generate could help close the wealth gap in the football world, claimed Infantino.

What are the reactions of the players to this idea?

The idea of holding the World Cup every two years is getting support from former players and managers like Arsene Wenger. Certain soccer confederations like CONMEBOL in South America; and individual national federations like France's and Saudi Arabia's have co-signed the idea.

But, the Majority of the players are not showing positive reactions to this new idea. PSG forward Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski believe that it is going to be too tiring for the players to play tournaments frequently. So this will eventually have a negative impact on their physicality.

"I agree with Robert, we already play 60 games a year and there are already a lot of competitions. We are happy to play, but when it's too much, it is too much. If you want to have quality, you have to allow the players to rest," Mbappe said in December. "We have to think about the quality and respect the health of the players."

Is it the correct decision?

However, another group of people is saying that this new pattern will result in it more negligence towards women's football. The main congestion of fixtures will result in nobody watching the women's football.

FIFA is already facing international scrutiny for its reputation in the world of corruption and the choice to stand by the 2022 World Cup host Qatar; Amid the abuse and death of migrant workers, documented in country-specific data and by Human Rights Watch.

Welcome to our live coverage of the Arsenal vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League 2024-25 quarter-final 1st leg match at Emirates Stadium.

This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you the buildup, head-to-head stats, team news and real-time updates of the all-important match from our web desk. 

Real Madrid qualified for the last eight after a controversial penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid, after losing four games to their road to the round of 16. 

In the meantime, Arsenal thrashed PSV by 9-3 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals. 

We have an exciting 90-minute game at hand. So, sit back and relax as we bring you all the updates from Sportz Point's web desk.

FIFA is reportedly considering the possibility of arranging a one-game play-off between Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC and Liga MX giants Club America to decide which team will represent the expelled Club Leon at the 2025 Club World Cup.  

🤯🇲🇽 BREAKING: FIFA has drawn up plans to hold a one-game playoff between Club America and LAFC to determine a replacement team for Club Leon at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. 🇺🇸🏆

Via @lizzy_becherano - @espn pic.twitter.com/ZVFSfcZPZ6

— All Fútbol MX 🇲🇽 (@AllFutbolMX) March 30, 2025

A FIFA spokesperson disclosed on Sunday that the organization is actively weighing the feasibility of this play-off match, whereas the winner of this playoff would also receive $9.55 million in prize money given by FIFA to teams qualified from the Concacaf zone.

However, FIFA's consideration does not include the Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense after the club lodged a complaint in 2024, which led to Leon's subsequent removal from the tournament.

Read Also | FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Draw: Groups, Format, and Schedule

The controversial exclusion of Club Leon

Costa Rican outfit Alajuelense’s complaint regarding the multi-ownership issue initiated the investigation by the FIFA Appeal Committee back in November 2024, which eventually led to Club Leon’s exclusion.

FIFA announced the decision to expel the Mexican side Club Leon from the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup 2025 last week due to the club's shared ownership with Pachuca, another team that competes in Mexico's top division, Liga MX.

TODOS LO GANAMOS, JUNTOS LO DEFENDEMOS.

Más unidos que nunca.#SerFieraEsUnOrgullo 🦁 pic.twitter.com/BEXp7VbCjl

— Club León (@clubleonfc) March 31, 2025

Pachuca also qualified for the Club World Cup after winning the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, while Club Leon earned its qualification after clinching the 2023 edition of the same tournament. However, Grupo Pachuca owns both the teams and holds stakes in Spanish side Real Oviedo and some other clubs as well.

This joint ownership violated the multi-club ownership requirements defined under Article 10, paragraph 1 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Regulations outlined by FIFA.

FIFA is considering a play-off game to replace Leon

According to different sources, FIFA is considering an unconventional approach to organize a single play-off game to determine which team would replace Club Leon in the competition.

Renowned football journalist Ben Jacobs has indicated a showdown between Club America and Los Angeles FC is on the cards, with the winner securing the coveted last place in the Group D, consisting of Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance.

The FIFA spokesperson stated the following on Sunday:

LAFC would participate as runner-up to Club Léon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League through which Club Léon had qualified, Club América would participate as the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederation ranking through which qualification is also determined.

The winner of the play-off would qualify unless legal proceedings rule otherwise.

The plans to commence the process of arranging a play-off will begin if Club Leon loses their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be reinstated to the Club World Cup.

CAS has called for a hearing on April 23 in Madrid, Spain, where Leon and Deportiva Alajuelense both will be presented the opportunity to put forward their arguments. Alajuelense had previously filed the complaint at CAS, asserting that León's inclusion was against FIFA regulations as they have also claimed a spot in the tournament instead.

Read Also | Costa Rican side Deportiva Alajuelense demand Club World Cup spot following Club Leon's exclusion

Both clubs must submit their legal documents by April 2, prior to the hearing on the 23rd. Any announcements concerning a possible substitute will likely not be made until the legal issues are settled.

"I think it's a grave injustice": James Rodriguez expressed his disappointment

The exclusion of Club Leon has heavily affected the Mexican side's talisman player, the Colombian star James Rodriguez. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder did not hesitate to express his disappointment regarding this decision. He said:

I think it's a grave injustice. We all believe that. We won on the pitch. The club and the players are hurt by this. If we're out, it's not fair. The team that would replace us would be stained, and football would be stained.

So many fans have planned to travel to the tournament; how do you tell them that they can't go? I have a lot of questions about all this. It's odd. I think FIFA has to get their things together. Football is stained by this. 

ESPN revealed that when asked about qualifying for the tournament, Club América head coach Andre Jardine assured his team's eagerness to earn the spot by battling on the field. According to him:

León should go to the Club World Cup. I'm sad for the institution, and I'd like them to find a solution so they can go,

"If it doesn't happen, then América has been doing things well for a long time. It's true that they haven't yet won the Concacaf Champions Cup, which is a dream of ours and a very clear objective.

"We're leading most of the Mexican tournaments and the Concacaf ranking, which is one of the criteria. If you ask me if I want to go to the Club World Cup, of course it's true, but I'd like to go to the Club World Cup by achieving it on the field. That's what we're working towards.

However, nothing has been finalized yet, and FIFA will also have to wait until the CAS hearing is able to curve out any solutionary measure. 

Read Also | FIFA announce Club World Cup 2025 prize money: USD 1 billion pool, winner to get record USD 125 million

Real Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, is known for his brilliant business strategy during the transfer windows. In recent years, Los Blancos have built one of the most impressive and young squads in football. Players like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Fede Valverde, and Rodrygo are all playing for the team, there are not many sides in world football who can compete with them. 

As a result, Los Blancos have to pay for their talent and their wages are pretty handsome. Toni Kroos was the club's highest-paid player but decided to retire at the end of the 2023-24 season. After Kroos' retirement, the club brought in Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, as of now Mbappe is the most earning player for the Los Blancos. 

So, let's take a look at how much money all Real Madrid players are making in 2025, featuring Los Blancos' stars like Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior and rising stars like Arda Guler, Endrick, and Raul Asencio.

Every Real Madrid's Players wages in 2025:

Goalkeepers:

In goal, it should come as a surprise to no one that Thibaut Courtois is comfortably the highest earner in Real Madrid. The Belgian international joined Real Madrid in 2018 from Chelsea and has been a number-one choice since then. However, his injuries were never any doubt about his spot in the starting lineup, and his weekly wage reflects that. Courtois is currently earning at Real Madrid €248,249 per week.

Andrey Lunin is another goalkeeper currently in the first squad and he is currently earning at Real Madrid €46,505 per week. He is the only backup of Thibaut Courtois, so, first-team opportunities are not something he is expected to be presented with too often, but he stepped up brilliantly during Courtois' injury last season.

Defenders:

In terms of the highest-paid defenders at Real Madrid, David Alaba is currently earning at Real Madrid €372,373/week more than any other defenders in the squad. David Alaba's teammates Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao both are currently earning at Real Madrid €234,139 per week.

Similarly, Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy both are currently earning at Real Madrid €172,450/week. Lucas Vasquez is currently earning at Real Madrid €155,238/week. Fran Garcia, Jesus Vallejo, and Raul Asencio, these three defenders are currently earning at Real Madrid €86,225/week, €28,914/week, and €13,493/week each. 

And, as the current reports, Liverpool's Trent Alexander Arnold has agreed on a deal to join Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer and will be taking home €240,000 per week and this will make him the second-highest earning defender for Los Blancos and also, he will become highest-paid right back in the football world. 

Midfielders:

Jude Bellingham has been playing like the best midfielder in the world since his Real Madrid transfer in 2023 and he is currently earning at Real Madrid like the midfielder too. Jude is making €344,735 per week. Federico Valverde is currently earning at Real Madrid €275,887 per week. Aurelien Tchouameni is making over €200,000 per week as he is currently earning at Real Madrid €206,874 per week. 

The last two midfielders in the squad are tied, with Dani Ceballos and Luka Modric both are currently earning at Real Madrid €172,450 per week. The Croatian has accomplished some legendary things for Real Madrid, including winning the Ballon d'Or in 2018. 

Forwards:

Kylian Mbappe is far and away the highest earner for Los Blancos. Kylian Mbappe is currently earning at Real Madrid over half and million euros every single week. Some way behind him in second place among the forwards is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian is currently earning at Real Madrid under €350,000 per week. 

Vinicius' fellow Brazilian Rodrygo is currently earning €206,874 per week at Real Madrid. And the remaining forwards, Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler, and Endrick, this three-forwards are currently making at Real Madrid €120,649, €83,566, and €66,845 per week each.

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UEFA has assigned an Ethics and disciplinary inspector to the actions of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Ceballos after Real Madrid's dramatic win in the penalty shoot-out over Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match on March 12.

One of the incidents being examined is a gesture of Antonio Rudiger's cut-throat celebrations towards the Atletico Madrid's fan base. Meanwhile, some video footage is circulating on social media, showing that Mbappe is making a gesture of groin-squeezing during the triumph celebrations. If the investigations lead to charges and a guilty sentence, the players could face disciplinary actions in the form of suspension, fines, or both.

UEFA's Statement:

🚨 UEFA announce they have opened an investigation into celebrations of Rüdiger, Ceballos, Mbappé and Vinicius Jr after the Real Madrid vs Atlético game at the Metropolitano. pic.twitter.com/Ni4D54i71P

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 27, 2025

A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players (Antonio Rüdiger, Kylian Mbappé, Daniel Ceballos Fernández, and Vinicius Junior) during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Club Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid CF on 12 March 2025.

What would Real Madrid's planning be?

Real Madrid will eagerly await UEFA's final statement, as a ban for Vinicius, Rudiger, Ceballos, and Mbappe could significantly impact their preparations for the tie against Arteta. They will face the Gunners on April 8 in the Emirates Stadium, with the return fixture a week later in Santiago Bernabeu.

Previous Incidents:

An example of similar behavior in the past led to financial fines and suspensions, setting an example that could influence UEFA’s decision on the current case.  Last summer, during Euro 2024, England midfielder Jude Bellingham was fined 30,000 euros and handed a one-match suspended ban for a groin-squeezing gesture after scoring a late equalizer in England’s 2-1 win over Slovakia in the tournament’s Round of 16.

Another example occurred in 2019 when Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone received a 20,000 euro fine for a similar act after his team scored against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

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FIFA has announced a lucrative financial reward for the 32 participating teams in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025, set to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.

The ultimate governing body of the football world had already announced a whopping USD 1 billion prize pool for the tournament earlier. On March 27th, Wednesday, FIFA confirmed that the champions of the newly-structured global club competition can take home a record prize money of USD 125 million.

Read Also | FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Draw: Groups, Format, and Schedule

FIFA has also announced a solidarity plan to elevate the current financial status of football around the globe, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the target of an additional 250 million USD being provided to club football across the world.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Prize money distribution

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the financial rewards and the solidarity programme to help club football in a statement on Wednesday. Infantino stated the following:

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 prize money has been announced.

The winners will earn up to 125 USD million, with USD 1 billion of prize money going to the 32 participating clubs and a target of USD 250 million in solidarity for club football across the world. Critically, all revenue will be distributed to club football with FIFA’s reserves remaining untouched.

The distribution model of the FIFA Club World Cup reflects the pinnacle of club football and represents the biggest-ever prize money for a football tournament comprising a seven-match group stage and playoff format.

In addition to the prize money for the participating teams, there is an unprecedented solidarity investment programme which will undoubtedly provide a significant boost in our ongoing efforts in making football truly global.

Finally, FIFA will neither retain any funding for this tournament, as all revenues will be distributed to club football, nor will it touch FIFA’s reserves, which are set aside for global football development through the 211 FIFA Member Associations.

The prizes for the tournament will continue to increase as performance bonuses are paid, with a total of $475 million being divided according to the teams' performances. This will mean that the team who has the most wins in a possible seven matches will be able to take a share of a maximum prize fund of $125 million.

The format of this tournament has been professionally structured by FIFA along with the European Club Association (ECA) so that due payment can be made based on the stature and success of the teams taking part. Therefore, the competition will become the richest club tournament ever arranged in a seven-match format.

Significantly, top European teams will get a minimum of $40 million, with South American teams getting $15.21 million. Teams from CONCACAF, CAF, and AFC will all get at least $9.55 million, while Oceania teams will receive $3.58 million.