100 days to go: Huge financial boost African reps ahead of FIFA Club World Cup

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Today marks exactly 100 days to the opening match of the new FIFA Club World Cup, a new era for club football when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition in history.

Featuring 32 clubs, four of them for Africa and 63 matches, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ will redefine how, when and where a true club world champion is crowned.

The African quartet include Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) and Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) for the historic tournament.

The revised budget – unanimously approved at the FIFA Council on Wednesday – incorporates USD 2 billion in revenues from the much-anticipated FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, which will set a new benchmark for global club football, with USD 1 billion distributed to participating clubs and provision for a solidarity mechanism that will be dedicated to club football across the world.

The announcement comes with 100 days to go until the start of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ with Inter Miami CF facing Al Ahly FC on Saturday, 14 June 2025.

“The FIFA Club World Cup will not only be the pinnacle of club football, but also a vivid demonstration of solidarity that will benefit clubs at large to a scale that no other competition has ever done,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“All revenue generated by the tournament will be distributed to the participating clubs and via club solidarity across the world as FIFA will not keep a single dollar. FIFA’s reserves, which are there for global football development, will remain untouched.”

The 100-days to go milestone marks a significant step towards the tournament which will redefine club football in the world, and the financial package will serve as a huge boost for the African quartet. Other clubs on the continent will also benefit for the solidarity scheme announced by FIFA.

The four teams are bracing up for the competition with the trio of Ahly, Esperance and Sundowns set for action in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League in April. Interestingly, Esperance and Sundowns will face off in a repeat of last season’s semi-final clash, which the former triumphed.

Ahly on the other hand have a date with Sudanese powerhouse Al Hilal for a place at the last four.

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Baboucarr Fallaboweh
Baboucarr Fallaboweh Sports Editor (Buba Jallow Fallaboweh) is a Gambian football expert, football analyst & columnist. The Stockholm-based Journalist is a media officer, football Scout, PR, Influencer and Digital creator. I started my journalism career as a football analyst in 2012 with Vibes FM and went on to work with CityLimit, West Coast, Hot FM, Freedom Radio, Eye Africa and Afri Radio as a content producer and presenter. In 2013, I attended Football Daily on the BBC SPORTS where we discussed the different styles of Football played in Africa. I Went on to freelance for The Point Newspaper, Freedom Newspaper, Daily Observer and Standard Newspaper before being appointed as Sports Editor with the Alkamba Times in March 2022.  I have worked for Magazines like Glo Magazine and Foot54 covering Gambian football and African Football.   Between 2020 -2021 I worked as a scout for the Gambia Football Federation, scouting talents for the U17 &U20.  From 2017 to 2021, I served as Media officer for GFF First division teams Team Rhino and Marimoo and also as media Officer of Banjul FC, fourth Division tier in Sweden and Darboe’s FC (Female second division club in the Gambia). I served as a PR for Superstars Academy.   With Afrencon, I was a data analyst before I joined LightHouse as a head scout for the Gambia project. In organizational structures, I served as the ambassador of the John Bass Kidney Foundation and one of the founders of the foundation creating kidney awareness in the Gambia.   I also served two positions in the Gambian organization in Sweden, as Sports chairman and the secretary of the associations.   After 12 years of being a football journalist, I was named 3rd best sports column writer in Africa year 2021 by the reputable sports media organization AIPS. I finished in the top 35 in the world with my article titled Back way: Gambian footballers in deadly Voyage to Europe.   With over 500 articles and interviews, analysis, profiling, features and news, I was shortlisted for the Gambia Press Union National Journalist Award 2022. I submitted the article which was co-written alongside Momodou Bah From Living Through Despair to Being An Agent Of Hope, The Inspiring Story Of John Bass.   I have served as an advisers to Football academies, clubs, and players and others. I have hosted dozens of shows and was invited as a guest on both radio, TV and the online press. I also covered the Gambia's maiden AFCON debut in 2021 in Cameroon.  

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