Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteMoss
Legit question regarding the World Cup (Soccer) - do the team owners get money from this? Or does it all just go to FIFA?
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This is a bit of an apples to oranges question, I'll try and break it down so it makes sense, for my own understanding too.
A) As far as I know, Hockey Canada and the NHL have nothing to do with each other right? I may be corrected but does any money transfer from one entity to the other. I believe they are totally separate. If there is money involved it's very small.
B) The World Cup is actually a prize money event. FIFA gives out prize money to the Countries soccer federation depending on how they finish. My numbers may be a bit off but for example if Canada had qualified for the World Cup, Soccer Canada, would have gotten 12 million dollars from FIFA for making it that far. The World Cup champion gets close to 50 million dollars I think. With that 12 million dollars Soccer Canada could do whatever it wants with it. They could use it for marketing, advertising, create a new league whatever. Using a more suitable example, The English FA could use that money for development or for prize money of their competitions. For example I believe the winner of the FA Cup gets a 1 million dollars.
So a tiny team in like the 8th division who makes the First Round Proper of the FA Cup receives $30000. That's a lot for a team from some village and it comes from the World Cup prize money pie.
C) Also in soccer national teams are playing all the time not just once every 4 years like in hockey. so the interruption to the season is just an inconvenience, So teams just have to put up with their players always going off to play for the countries and if they get hurt, too bad. Sure there are arguments but FIFA have mandated, these are the 10 days of the year you must release your player to play internationally and the clubs don't have a choice. Imagine if a superstar like Iginla played for Canada 100 times. So Flames would be playing Edmonton on a Saturday, Vancouver on a Wednesday and then there would be a break the following Saturday so that Iginla goes and plays for Canada. Then he comes back on the following Wednesday to play Detroit. That's how soccer is.