$21 million and counting: Why Inter Miami have already earned a massive payday after one win, two draws in the Club World Cup

Inter Miami has not only impressed on the field at the Club World Cup - Lionel Messi's side is the last MLS team standing in the tournament - but is also cashing in financially. The Herons finished second in their group after a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras on Monday. The Seattle Sounders and LAFC were both eliminated early.

Inter Miami's progress comes with substantial financial rewards. Just for participating in the tournament, each MLS club secured $9.55 million. Beyond that, for Miami, they earned:

+ $1M for their draw with Al Ahly

+ $2M for defeating Porto

+ $1M for their draw with Palmeiras

That's $13.55M entering the Round of 16, where the Herons will face UEFA Champions League winners PSG. Miami added another $7.5 million for reaching the knockouts, bringing their current total to $21.05M.

All players and teams chase trophies and the glory that comes with winning them - sporting greatness is the ultimate dream for every footballer and fan alike. But for clubs such as Miami from MLS, and others outside of Europe, the financial rewards offered by the FIFA Club World Cup can often carry as much weight as lifting a trophy.

Of course, the deeper a team advances, the bigger the prize money. But doing so means facing global giants like PSG, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, and other European powerhouses that remain heavy favorites to win it all.

For teams from MLS, Liga MX, or South America, competing toe-to-toe with these clubs and coming away with results not only builds prestige - it brings major financial benefits.

And the rewards could keep coming. If Inter Miami beats PSG this weekend, they’ll receive an additional $13.125 million, which would push their CWC earnings to more than $34 million.

Part of the appeal of this tournament for the players is the prize money FIFA has promised. There is a pot of $1 billion to be split among all participating clubs, depending on how far they go in the tournament. The winner could theoretically collect $125M - only marginally less than the payout for winning the Premier League.

That said, there has been some contentious moments regarding over how MLS will distribute team winnings. MLS is a singular entity in which the league has financial jurisdiction over its clubs. That means the payout from FIFA goes not directly to the owners of Seattle, Miami and LAFC, but to the league as a whole. The league office then gets to decide what to do with it.

To that end, before the tournament, Seattle players protested. They believe that they are entitled to a fair share of those CWC revenues.

The Herons and PSG will face off Sunday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a spot in the quarterfinals. It will mark the first time Lionel Messi plays against one of his former clubs.