Adam Williams has exclusively told TBR Football how Chelsea spent their £85million Club World Cup prize money.
From an on-field perspective, the Blues had a financially rewarding summer, surprising many people by winning the Club World Cup.
Enzo Maresca guided the Blues to their second trophy since taking charge of the club, defeating PSG 3-0 in the final, in a tournament that had plenty of prize money on the line.
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Now that the dust has settled from the summer, Chelsea fans are able to learn how the club used the £85million that they earned.
Joe Shields after Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Exclusive: How Chelsea spent their Club World Cup prize money revealed
After the Club World Cup win, many pundits praised the Blues, with Jill Scott even predicting they would win the Premier League.
Regardless of that, from a financial perspective, it was beneficial for Chelsea, and TBR Football’s finance expert, Adam Williams, explained how the club has used that cash.
“The Club World Cup money, which was worth around £85m to Chelsea, will have gone into a central pot which is used to meet running costs.
“That’s not a particularly glamorous answer, I know, but football clubs don’t ringfence individual tranches of prize money they receive for specific projects. Instead, they look at where they can invest based on the total amount of cash immediately available to them, as well as future cash flows.
“When Chelsea spend money on transfers, for example, it is rarely paid in one go. Instead, if they spend, say, £50m on a player, that might be divided into three or four instalments. That way, you smooth the impact of the deal on your finances over a long period. In theory, that makes your cost base less volatile.
“It works the same way with the money you receive from player sales, too. So you have big running costs to meet on a month-to-month basis, and money coming in as well. It’s a more manageable way of doing things.”
Chelsea have some financial issues to overcome in the near future
Chelsea might have gained money from the controversial summer tournament and through player sales, but a £500million problem is looming over them.
That is in the form of a transfer debt, which Chelsea will have to try to fix in the forthcoming years to continue running sustainably.
Williams said: “The problems come when you are bearing the costs of massive transfers that haven’t worked out and don’t deliver a return on investment. Chelsea have absolutely huge transfer debt, the football finance analyst Swiss Ramble estimates it was around £500m at the last count. And yes, they have made a lot of money from sales too, but nowhere near as much as they have spent under BlueCo.
“The challenge over the next few years is ensuring that investment delivers a return in terms of regularly qualifying for the Champions League, winning trophies, and driving commercial and matchday income.”