FIFA to distribute record $355M US to hundreds of clubs for 2026 World Cup

FIFA is set to distribute a record $355 million US (about $488 Cdn) 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.

Clubs that release players for World Cup qualifiers will be compensated for the first time ever, irrespective of whether the player plays at the final tournament.

The initiative marks an increase of nearly 70 per cent from the $209 million US paid out after each of the past two editions, played in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018.

It's 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.

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

The payments were calculated as a daily rate for as long as players were involved with their squads at the tournament. Manchester City got the biggest payment from the 2022 program with almost $4.6 million.

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. A record 48 national teams will participate in the competition.