Reports: MLS players get pay boost from CWC prize money

Field Level Media|published: Tue 15th July, 21:41 2025

Jun 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei (24) wears a t-shirt to protest FIFA Club World Cup bonus sharing from MLS while participating in pregame warmups against the Minnesota United at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Major League Soccer players landed additional compensation for their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

The players' collective bargaining agreement had stated players would receive 50 percent of all money that came in from outside tournaments, but capped it at $1 million. The players stood to make much more as FIFA paid out $1 billion in total prize money, including $9.55 million to CONCACAF teams just for participating.

The league and the MLS Players Association agreed on a restructured format, per the reports: The league will pay a 40 percent increase over the previous $1 million cap to each team that competed -- the Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami -- as well as 30 percent of performance prize money uncapped.

Clubs received $2 million per win and $1 million per draw from FIFA, while Los Angeles FC also picked up $250,000 for winning a play-in round against Club America to fill a spot in the 32-team field vacated by Club Leon.

An MLSPA spokesperson told media outlets that the players were nonetheless "deeply disappointed" with the nature of the negotiations, which stretched past the start of the tournament last month.

Before the tournament, Sounders players wore T-shirts when warming up for a game that read "Club World Cash Grab."

"While we were ultimately able to reach an agreement, players were deeply disappointed with the league's approach to the negotiation," the spokesperson said. "Stonewalling, threats and retaliation will not be effective strategies as we move into the major negotiations ahead of us."

--Field Level Media