Atlético and the Club World Cup: A Rival Raises its Voice
Attention, Rojiblancos fans! Atlético de Madrid already has defined rivals for the upcoming Club World Cup, and one of them, the Seattle Sounders of MLS, has staged a striking protest that has resonated in the world of football.
Seattle players and the MLS Players Association have publicly demanded a fairer distribution of the income that FIFA will allocate to the tournament. In a forceful gesture, Seattle Sounders players took to the field to warm up prior to the match against Minnesota United wearing protest shirts.
The image of ‘Mr. Monopoly’ with the MLS logo, fleeing with a sack of FIFA money, perfectly illustrated the message: ‘World Club Cash Grab’. On the back, it read ‘Fair Share Now’.
The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) issued a parallel statement, emphasizing the need for fair and respectful treatment of the players, who will bear a greater workload due to this new tournament.
While FIFA has allocated a historical sum of prize money, the MLS, according to the MLSPA, refuses to share a fair portion of those funds with the players themselves. Atlético de Madrid will share Group B of the Club World Cup with Seattle Sounders, Botafogo, and PSG.
Seattle, playing as hosts, secured their place after winning the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2022. An interesting social and economic context surrounds one of Atleti’s future rivals in this international competition.
