Mamelodi Sundowns are set to land at OR Tambo International Airport with pride in their hearts and a healthy boost to their bank account after wrapping up their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
Before even kicking a ball in the USA, Sundowns were guaranteed a participation fee of $9.55 million—roughly R169 million.
Their 1-0 victory over Ulsan HD added another $2 million (about R35 million) for a group stage win. While the loss to Borussia Dortmund didn’t bring in any extra funds, their goalless draw with Fluminense on Wednesday earned them an additional $1 million (around R17.65 million).
However, the club also had some deductions to deal with—each yellow card at the tournament came with a fine of $12,000 (approximately R212,000). Bookings for Teboho Mokoena (twice), Tashreeq Matthews, Marcelo Allende, and Kutlwano Letlhaku amounted to $60,000 (over R1 million) in fines.
All in all, Sundowns will walk away from the Club World Cup with an estimated R220.59 million, depending on currency fluctuations.
That’s not the only income they’ve racked up this season. The club already claimed R20 million for winning the Betway Premiership and earned $2 million (about R35 million) as runners-up in the CAF Champions League.
Add to that the smaller prize money from local cup competitions—R1 million from the MTN8, R2.6 million from the Carling Knockout, and another R1 million from the Nedbank Cup—bringing in an extra R4.6 million.
