FIFA Increases Club Compensation to $355m for 2026 World Cup and Qualifiers

FIFA has announced a major increase in its Club Benefits Programme, allocating $355 million to clubs releasing players for the 2026 World Cup and, for the first time, for World Cup qualifiers. The decision represents a 70% rise compared with the $209 million distributed after Qatar 2022.

The expanded tournament will feature 48 teams instead of 32, while nearly 200 nations will compete in qualifiers. FIFA has not yet disclosed how the money will be distributed across clubs worldwide.

President Gianni Infantino hailed the initiative as “a groundbreaking and globally inclusive edition,” while the European Club Association (ECA) chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi praised the deal as recognition of clubs’ contributions to national team football.

At Qatar 2022, clubs received $10,000 per day for each player released to their national team during preparation and competition. Manchester City topped the list of beneficiaries with nearly $4.6 million, more than the total amount sent to the entire African continent. European teams collectively earned $158.9 million, or 76% of the total.

The programme, created in 2010 after an agreement between FIFA and the ECA, was extended in 2015 for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, and renewed again in 2023 to include 2026.

FIFA projects record revenues exceeding $10 billion for the expanded tournament. While the compensation increase is significant, critics argue it still falls short of offsetting the massive financial burden placed on leading clubs who supply the majority of World Cup talent.