Chelsea, serving as the defender of the title for the Champions League, proved to be the favourite team for betting the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, a delayed tournament that took place in Abu Dhabi during the 3rd week of February.
This champion will return to England with a trophy, which represents the only silverware it had yet to claim for its records. It succeeded in securing the position of world champion thanks to its penalty kick shot on behalf of Kai Havertz, allowing them a 2-1 win over Palmeiras, the South American team.
These European participants have now managed to win the title for every single one of the past 9 tournaments. No African, Asian, or North American club has ever won this competition.
The last time a team out of South America won, it came directly at the expense of Chelsea in the 2012 final, when the Corinthians defeated the Blues. One particular South American club has managed to become champion 4 times, including the first 3 since the launch of the event in 2000. This team is known as Monterrey.
Monterrey
Monterrey was defeated by Africa’s champions Al Ahly. The winning goal was scored early in the match’s second half as Mohamad Hany blasted a shot with a poor clearance. It was a significant lead for the Egyptians who created the best probabilities of the match and consistency struggled Monterrey for the breakaway.
Outside of several chances, Monterrey could not create any meaningful offence. As time passed, fans were greeted with the inevitability of loss, as were the players on the field. As Al Ahly is projected to move to face Palmeiras, the South America champion, in one of the semi-final matches, Monterrey will stay back in the United Arab Emirates for a 5th place round against either Al-Jazira of the UAE or Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.
This marks the 5th time that Monterrey’s team managed to reach the FIFA Club World Cup, and yet it was the 3rd time for them to be knocked out of the very first match. Prior happenstances took place in 2011 and 2013. Predictable play and slow movement saw them biting the dust as well as a poor choice for betting.
The Prize Money
FIFA has confirmed to news outlets for betting that the total coin purse for this particular event is just over $16 million spread across the field of 7 teams. Chelsea will take home about a third of this at $5 million, with the runner-up receiving $4 million. The previous tournament, held in 2021, saw Tigres, a Mexican side, reach the final. However, the participant of North America in this year’s event was dropped in the second round, being forced to settle in 5th place.
Furthermore, the team features matches for teams in 3rd, 5th, and 7th place to reward these players with the rest of the prize money. Those who manage to sit in 3rd place will receive $2.5 million, and those at the very bottom will receive $500,000.