Sources: Despite new offer, MLS, players not close on Club World Cup bonus deal

New York Times

08-06-2025

Major League Soccer made a proposal to the MLS Players Association that would increase performance-based bonuses in this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, but the two sides don't appear close to an agreement.
The league sent the proposal to the league on Friday, according to a source briefed on the discussions between the league and the union. The union responded forcefully to that offer in a statement on Sunday afternoon, calling the league's proposal 'retaliatory' and saying the league had 'ignored months of attempts by players to engage' until making its offer on Friday.
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According to the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified in February 2021, MLS players would be paid a maximum of $1 million in prize money from the highly lucrative tournament. MLS teams will be paid a minimum of $9.55 million for their participation in the Club World Cup.
The $1 million cap comes from section 10.8 of the CBA, which defines tournament bonus pools. That section lays out payouts for known tournaments, like the U.S. Open Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup. What it didn't account for at the time was a new FIFA-run tournament with unprecedented prize money.
The new MLS proposal would give players the $1 million from the $9.55 million participation fee, as agreed in the CBA, but would add another 20 percent to any money earned beyond that — including for wins, draws and advancement to further rounds.
In addition, MLS previously decided to pay LAFC players an additional $250,000 in bonuses for its win over Club America in the play-in game to the Club World Cup, which followed Club León's expulsion from the competition.
The league also gave an option for owners to convert up to $750,000 of the $9.55 million participation fee into general allocation money, which effectively serves as cap space. All three teams opted to max out that $750,000, according to multiple sources.
The Seattle Sounders staged a protest ahead of their game against Minnesota United on June 1 regarding the $1 million cap on the bonuses. According to multiple reports, Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer angrily confronted the team after the game for the protest.
The source said the league had been in weeks of discussions with the MLSPA about the bonuses and that MLS communicated to the union on May 31 that it was willing to alter the CBA and expected to send a formal proposal on June 2 regarding the bonus structure.
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The union's statement pushed back heavily both on MLS's offer and on its willingness to engage on the issue in the weeks leading up to the protest.
'MLS spent most of last week making threats and promising retaliation against the MLSPA and players because Seattle players wore T-shirts that expressed frustration over the league's refusal to engage about Club World Cup compensation,' the statement read. 'After ignoring months of attempts by players to engage, late Friday afternoon, less than 48 hours before LAFC and Seattle players were to take the field once again, the league finally provided the PA with their first proposal on this issue. As promised, this proposal was retaliatory in nature.'
The union statement outlines the MLS offer as not adding any bonuses to the participation fees paid out by FIFA beyond the $1 million outlined in the CBA.
The union statement then classified the 'back-end compensation' of 20% as being 'below the international standard.'
An update on Club World Cup Bonuses.
MLS spent most of last week making threats and promising retaliation against the MLSPA and players because Seattle players wore t-shirts that expressed frustration over the league's refusal to engage about Club World Cup compensation.
More… pic.twitter.com/jAz06ASGYw
— MLSPA (@MLSPA) June 8, 2025
In addition, the union said the league is attempting to strong-arm the MLSPA into making concessions around the CBA waivers that have been issued the past several seasons regarding offseason timing for teams participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
'The timing, substance, and retaliatory nature of the proposal sends a clear message: MLS does not respect or value players' efforts with regard to this tournament,' the MLSPA statement reads. 'Although not surprised, the players and the MLSPA are deeply disappointed by this message.
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'MLS's refusal to negotiate in good faith has created a major distraction for the players who should be focusing on preparing for a major international competition. However, players will not be silenced by threats from MLS. The players remain united in using their collective voice and demanding a fair share of the rewards earned from their hard work.'
It is not clear what 'international standard' the MLSPA is using in its appraisal of MLS's offer. There have been few public details about what other teams are paying players for their participation in the tournament.
The source said the MLSPA communicated a desire for players to receive 40 percent of all money distributed to MLS teams by FIFA, including the participation fee and any performance payments for results or advancement in the tournament.
The discussions come at a delicate time for the league as it weighs major changes at the board level, including flipping the calendar to a fall-spring format. That change would require player approval and changes to the CBA.
With the relationship between the league and the union seeming increasingly frosty, it could complicate those larger discussions.
Inter Miami opens the Club World Cup against Al Ahly on June 14.