World Cup stars to earn clubs $5,000 each day from $355million Fifa fund
Clubs contributing players to this month’s World Cup are set to receive approximately $5,000 per day from a $355million fund established by Fifa.
The global soccer governing body recently unveiled details on how it will allocate this revenue share, benefiting clubs whose players are among the 1,248 selected for the 48-team tournament in North America.
For the first time, clubs whose players were called up for the 905 qualifying games will also receive compensation.
Fifa confirmed that clubs registered with players involved in the qualifying program earned $2,360 per game during that period.
This extensive payment scheme is poised to distribute funds to thousands of clubs worldwide, given that 209 national teams participated in the qualifiers, with only Eritrea and suspended Russia not taking part.
The Fifa fund for clubs was agreed in 2023 to be $355 million for this tournament. It sets $250 million aside to reward clubs for their World Cup players, and $100 million for clubs who sent players to qualifying games.
Manchester City lead the pack with 19 players selected for the World Cup, the highest representation from any single club.
The English giants have consistently been top beneficiaries, having received the largest share from Fifa’s payment program in the 2022 Qatar edition and the 2018 Russia finals, with previous payments reaching respectively from a $4.6million and $5million from $209 million fund for each of those tournaments.
Other major clubs poised for multi-million dollar payouts include Bayern Munich with 18 players, and Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, each contributing 16.
Notably, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal is the best represented outside Europe with 12 players.
In a surprising turn, Crystal Palace, the new Conference League champions, matches Al-Hilal with 12 players, surpassing European giants Liverpool (11) and Real Madrid (10).
Fifa’s payments to clubs from World Cup revenues began with the 2010 tournament in South Africa, with an initial $40million fund which then rose to $70 million for the 2014 Brazil event.
This initiative was part of negotiations in 2008 to establish and recognize the influential European Club Association.
