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Message: [QUOTE="IthacaMatt, post: 5443551, member: 405"] Latest preview article from The Athletic. Those with a NY Times subscription will be able to read this. I pay $7/month for The Athletic. It's one of the few print pubs that I feel is worth the money. [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6402812/2025/06/09/club-world-cup-everything-you-need-to-know/[/URL] A couple pull quotes: The Club World Cup is a 32-team tournament organised by FIFA. All six of FIFA’s confederations are represented. Brazil is the country with the most participating teams (four: Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Palmeiras), with the U.S. the only other nation providing more than two sides (three: Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC and [URL='https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6397882/2025/06/08/club-world-cup-team-guide-seattle/']Seattle Sounders[/URL]). Teams have been drawn into eight groups of four, with each side playing their group opponents once. The top two of each group will progress to the round of 16, and from there it will be single-match knockouts to the final. Groups A, D, E, and only have one European team, so teams from another continent will progress to the round of 16 from these groups. [HEADING=1]Who are the favourites?[/HEADING] Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to add to their treble of the Champions League, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France this season. [URL='https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6391432/2025/05/31/champions-league-final-psg-inter-analysis/']The way PSG demolished Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final[/URL] makes them the form European team. [HEADING=1]What’s the prize money?[/HEADING] There is a $1billion pot to be shared. European clubs will take most of this. There is $525m on offer for participation alone, with Europe’s 12 competing clubs taking home $306m (58 per cent). They will get between $12.8m and $38.2m in a “ranking based on sporting and commercial criteria” for participation, with the six South American clubs getting a flat fee of $15.2m. Auckland City, the only Oceania club, will receive $3.58m, with the rest, from North and Central America, Africa and Asia, receiving $9.55m for qualifying. The remaining $475m will be shared based on performance. Having a perfect tournament on the way to the title will amount to $87.62m. Part of this sporting performance pot, the final will become the most lucrative game in football, with $40m going to the winners and $30m to the losers. This $70m prize exceeds the $47m (€43.5m) on offer in the UEFA Champions League final. = = = = = = = = = = THIS IS A BOATLOAD OF MONEY, ESPECIALLY IN THESE DAYS OF FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY, JUST LIKE ADDING MONEY TO THE NIL POT OF ANY SCHOOL. THIS ENABLES TEAMS TO BUY MORE AND BETTER PLAYERS. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?