FIFA Announces Historic $355M Club Benefits Programme for 2026 World Cup

FIFA has unveiled a major expansion of its Club Benefits Programme for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allocating a record USD 355 million to compensate clubs worldwide for releasing players to national teams.

The amount represents a 70% increase compared to the 2022 edition and marks the first time the programme will include payments for clubs that released players during the campaign.

The fund is divided into two separate allocations. A total of USD 100 million has been reserved for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and will be distributed on a “per player, per match” basis. Only players appearing on the start list which is the 11 starters plus a maximum of 12 substitutes, will qualify for payment. FIFA has calculated the anticipated benefit at approximately USD 2,362 per player per match.

The remaining USD 250 million will be distributed among clubs that release players for the final tournament, running from 11 June to 19 July 2026, on a “per player, per day” basis.

Clubs can expect a minimum of around USD 5,000 per player per day, with exact amounts to be confirmed after the tournament based on actual participation.

Clubs will register through a dedicated online platform. FIFA is dispatching invitation emails this month using contact details from the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS).

Registered clubs must review and validate preliminary player-release lists by 10 September 2026, after which member associations will have until 31 October 2026 to address any conflicts.

FIFA will conduct a final review and calculate exact entitlements once the tournament concludes.

Payments for both the qualifiers and the final competition will be processed through member associations by the end of 2026 and transferred directly to eligible clubs in full, subject only to applicable taxes.

Only clubs with which the players were officially registered during the relevant release periods are entitled to receive funds.