June 8 – FIFA will distribute $355 million to compensate clubs that have released players to play at the World Cup. For the first time $100 million has been reserved for clubs that released players for FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

The agreement made between FIFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) is a 70% increase compared to the 2022 World Cup. 

The $100 million will cover 905 qualifying matches with FIFA saying the anticipated benefit stands at about $2,360 per player, per match. 

That leaves $250 million to be distributed to clubs whose players play at the final tournament, and will be calculated on a per-player, per-day basis, taking into account both squad inclusion and the duration of each player’s involvement. The minimum expected payment is about $5,000 per player, per day. 

EFC Chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi said: “The Club Benefits Programme is an essential part of EFC’s long-term strategic partnership with FIFA and will benefit many hundreds of European and international clubs of all sizes… Clubs play a fundamental role in the success of international football through the development, employment and release of players, while the national team game continues to support the global growth and visibility of club football.” 

The remaining $5 million of the $355 million will be used to cover administrative costs related to the implementation of the programme. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino: “Thousands of clubs around the world contribute every day to the development of players who dream of representing their countries at the FIFA World Cup… more clubs than ever before will receive a share of the financial benefits generated by the FIFA World Cup, recognising their essential contribution to the success of international football… This is another benefit from the expanded FIFA World Cup – providing more support across the entire football ecosystem to the clubs that provide all the players who compete to shine on the global stage.” 

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