Football organizations outside professional leagues poised to receive financial benefits from Fifa World Cup
The FIFA Club Benefits Programme is set to play a significant role in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which is expected to be a groundbreaking and globally inclusive edition. The programme's kitty has received a boost of nearly 70%, increasing from $209m to $355m (£261m) for the 2026 World Cup cycle.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, has emphasised that the enhanced programme recognises the contribution of clubs and their players to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament. The changes reinforce the solid collaboration between FIFA, the European Club Association (ECA), and clubs worldwide for the 2026 World Cup.
The ECA's stance on the importance of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme in recognising the contribution of clubs and their players has been reiterated. Representative clubs from continents with increased or adjusted compensation regulations for the release of international players for the 2026 World Cup, such as UEFA (Europe), CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia and Australia), CONMEBOL (South America), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), and OFC (Oceania), can financially benefit.
Clubs from these regions will see changes in compensation linked to their players' national team participation in the tournament, which is set to take place from June to July 2026 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. All teams who release players for the 2026 World Cup or its qualifiers will receive payment.
The ECA looks forward to continuing close collaboration with FIFA and the global football community to drive growth and development of international football. The ECA's Memorandum of Understanding with FIFA is highlighted as supporting the growth of the global club game.
The initiative recognises the role of clubs from early development to the release for important games. Even non-league clubs could benefit from the changes, such as Uxbridge and Takeley, seneth-tier and eighth-tier clubs respectively, who have had players called up by Anguilla for World Cup qualifiers.
The 2026 World Cup is expected to be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, with the majority of the games, including the final, to be staged in the United States. The FIFA Club Benefits Programme aims to financially recognise the contribution that clubs and their players make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament.
The revised programme will reward more clubs worldwide for releasing players, according to the ECA chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi. The changes underscore FIFA's commitment to acknowledging the crucial role of clubs in the success of national team football.
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