Auckland City FC’s Shocking Revenue Revelation Humbles Chelsea’s $114.6 Million Club World Cup Win

Chelsea really lived a fairytale dream at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Fresh off as UEFA Conference League victors, the Premier League giants secured a thumping 3-0 victory over the deemed favorites Paris Saint-Germain in the finals. With this win, they not only took home the stunning golden trophy but also a pretty hefty cash prize. Though one would be under the impression that the Blues are the highest team to rake in millions, wait till you hear about Auckland City.

$114.6 million is the amount that Chelsea is taking home. Well, not precisely, as many other teams below them are on the list, with the New Zealand-based club ranking at the bottom — No. 32, to be precise. However, the A League minnows were paid $4.6m (£3.4m) despite losing 10-0 to Bayern Munich and 6-0 to Benfica. On the other hand, Auckland drew 1-1 with Boca Juniors.

Well, though you see the London club securing the top spot with a massive payout in terms of prize money, Auckland City actually tops the chart when it comes to the percentage of revenue earned at the Club World Cup, which basically shows how enormous this payout is compared to each club’s usual finances. So, believe it or not, Auckland’s earnings from this CWC amount to a staggering 676% of their annual revenue, according to the BBC.

And considering their normal yearly revenue for 2024 is precisely $650,000, earning $4.6 million is nearly seven times their typical income. As for Chelsea, the $114.6 million they won from this tournament makes up only 16% of their annual revenue.

Heck, just for context: if a team like Chelsea spent close to $270 million merely on boosting their striker pool — not to mention the total spent on transfers since new American owner Todd Boehly took charge surpassed $1.56 billion in 2022 — you can imagine these millions from the Club World Cup are literally just a bonus for them.

Then again, what Chelsea took home on paper is indeed 25 times more than what Auckland City did. Yet, there’s the New Zealand Championship giants, who managed to steal the spotlight with their effortless revenue system, unlike Chelsea, who showcased greatness in literally every stage of this USA-hosted tournament.

Be that as it may, it is indeed quite a remarkable achievement from the Club World Cup’s bottom dwellers. Speaking of which, how did the other participating teams do?

Chelsea still dominates the biggest European guns

Given how FIFA kept a prize pool of $1 billion, out of which, $525 million was allocated just for participation, and the remaining $475 million was performance-based. Teams like Auckland City were able to get a payday that they had never received in their lifetime. As for the rest of the affluent teams like Chelsea, this method only helped them rake in more bonuses.

For starters, Paris Saint-Germain walked away with nearly $106.9 million for finishing as runner-up, a figure that accounted for roughly 11% of their annual revenue. The list then sees Borussia Dortmund secure $52.3 million, which is around 9% of their yearly intake, while Inter Milan, earning $36.8 million, saw that amount make up about 8% of their typical earnings. Bayern Munich’s haul of $58.2 million comprised 7%, with Juventus pocketing $26.6 million, roughly 6% of their books.

As for Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, their prize money — $51.7 million and $23.7 million respectively — is not more than their 5% of annual turnover. Perhaps most surprising of all, Real Madrid, despite their hefty $82.5 million payday, found that to be merely 4% of their yearly haul. Outside of these detailed percentages, other notable earners included Fluminense at $60.8 million, Palmeiras with $39.8 million, and Flamengo taking home $27.7 million, showcasing that the South American sides indeed enjoyed their payday.

And then there are European teams, who view their winnings as a mere bonus, unlike Auckland City. Regardless, one truly needs to see how significant the gap is between clubs around the world.