Sounders players demand fair MLS payout for CWC

Seattle Sounders players are demanding a just stock of the FIFA Club World Cup prize wealth the squad secured erstwhile qualifying for the planetary tournament, and received backing from the Major League Soccer Players Association connected Sunday.

FIFA announced each subordinate would person $9.55 million, making the nine eligible for the payout aft winning the 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup and becoming a Concacaf typical to the competition.

In summation to a connection from the MLSPA, players took to the transportation astatine Lumen Field successful shirts that work "Club World Cash Grab" and "Fair Share Now" up of the lucifer against Minnesota United connected Sunday.

"The MLSPA and each MLS players basal agreed with the Seattle Sounders players who contiguous demanded a just stock of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money. FIFA's caller tourney piles connected to players' ever-increasing workload without respect to their carnal well-being. In bid to prehend this further calendar territory, FIFA had to perpetrate historical magnitude of prize wealth to unafraid nine and subordinate participation. As a result, MLS volition person an unprecedented fiscal windfall," said the players and MLSPA successful a statement.

"Despite the windfall, the league has refused to allocate a just percent of those funds to the players themselves. For months, the players person privately and respectfully invited the league to to sermon bonus terms, yet MLS has failed to bring guardant a tenable proposal. Instead of recognizing the players who person brought MLS to the planetary stage, the league - which routinely asks the PA to deviate from the CBA - is clinging to an out-of-date CBA provisions and ignoring longstanding planetary standards connected what players typically person from FIFA prize wealth successful planetary competitions.

"It is the players who marque the crippled possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up connected the planetary stage. They expect to beryllium treated reasonably and with respect."

MLS did not instantly respond with a connection erstwhile contacted by ESPN.

The Sounders footwear disconnected the Club World Cup against Botafogo connected June 15 astatine Lumen Field earlier facing Atlético Madrid and newly-crowned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain successful Group B.

MLS teams Inter Miami CF and LAFC volition besides beryllium participating successful the tournament. LAFC was the past squad to suffice for the competition, beating Club América successful a one-game playoff connected Saturday to regenerate Club Leon successful radical D.