More football clubs than ever before are set to receive financial rewards from the FIFA World Cup as FIFA prepares to roll out an enhanced version of the Club Benefits Programme (CBP) for its 2026 men’s competition.
Under the renewed memorandum of understanding signed with the European Club Association (ECA) in March 2023, FIFA confirmed that $355 mln will be shared among clubs releasing players for the World Cup.
For the first time, the scheme will also cover players involved in World Cup 2026 qualifiers, ensuring that every club contributing talent to the process receives direct compensation. This adjustment marks a significant step towards fairer distribution and greater solidarity in global football.
«The enhanced edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognising 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,» said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
He added that the record sum of $355 mln underlines the strong partnership between FIFA and the ECA, with both bodies looking ahead to a truly global and inclusive competition.
ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi welcomed the move, noting: «This programme ensures even more clubs across the world are rewarded for releasing players and highlights exactly how ECA’s Memorandum of Understanding with FIFA supports the ongoing growth of the global club game.»
The registration process and further details on the CBP distribution model will be announced in due course.
In the previous edition of the programme, implemented for the FIFA World Cup 2022™, $209 mln was shared among 440 clubs from 51 FIFA member associations.
Kursiv also reports that football analysts at Goal.com have assessed the prospects of all teams heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Uzbekistan on 25th place out of 27 teams.
