Clubs whose players take part in the 2026 World Cup—or featured in the qualifiers—will receive higher financial compensation this summer, world football’s governing body, FIFA, announced on Friday.
The governing body confirmed that the total allocation under its Club Benefits Programme has been raised to $355 million (about 306 million euros).
FIFA had earlier indicated in September that this represented a 70 percent increase compared to the package distributed after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Although FIFA does not disclose full tournament revenue figures, it projects a 56 percent rise in earnings for this World Cup cycle compared to 2022.
It also expects overall revenue for the 2022–2026 period—covering the expanded Club World Cup in 2025—to be 72 percent higher than the previous cycle.
This edition of the World Cup is also significantly larger, with the number of participating teams increased from 36 to 48. Matches will rise from 64 to 104, while the tournament will run for 39 days instead of 29.
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For the first time, clubs will also receive payments for player participation in World Cup qualifying matches.
The total fund is split into three categories. A sum of $250 million will go toward compensation for players at the tournament finals.
FIFA estimates a minimum payout of $5,000 per player per day spent at the World Cup, “although the final figures will be confirmed after the conclusion of the tournament”.
These payments, FIFA said, “will be calculated on a per-player, per-day basis, taking into account both squad inclusion and the duration of each player’s involvement”.
An additional $100 million is allocated to the qualifying stage. FIFA said it will pay $2,362 for each player named in a match-day squad across 905 qualifying fixtures, as well as 10 friendly matches for each of the three host nations, which were exempt from qualifying.
The remaining $5 million will cover administrative expenses, with any leftover funds “allocated to the benefit of global club 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,” said Gianni Infantino in the press release explaining the programme.
FIFA added that payments will be based on players’ club registrations at the time squads are announced, though provisions exist for players who change clubs during the tournament, as well as for replacements.