FIFA to distribute record US$355 million to clubs for 2026 World Cup

Argentina soccer fans hold a cardboard cutout with the image of soccer star Lionel Messi with the FIFA World Cup trophy in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. (AP Photo/Nicolas Aguilera)

FIFA is set to distribute a record US$355 million to clubs around the world as part of an expanded Club Benefits Programme (CBP) tied to the 2026 World Cup, soccer’s world governing body announced on Tuesday.

The initiative marks an increase of close to 70 per cent from the $209 million paid out after the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

For the first time, clubs that release players for World Cup qualifiers -- not just the finals -- will be compensated.

The initiative is part of a renewed memorandum of understanding between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) signed in March 2023, aimed at creating a more inclusive and equitable system for global club football.

“The enhanced edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognizing financially the huge contribution that so many clubs and their players around the world make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

The CBP was first introduced for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In 2022, 440 clubs from 51 FIFA member associations received payments under the program.

With the 2026 edition set to include compensation for qualifiers, the number of benefiting clubs is expected to rise significantly.

ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi called the program “innovative.”

“Clubs play a pivotal role in the success of national team football,” he said. “This initiative recognizes every element of it, from early development through to release for the most important games.”

The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

(Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester, England; Editing by Ken Ferris)