FIFA has announced a significant increase in payments to clubs releasing their players for the 2026 World Cup,
totaling €300 million to be shared among qualified clubs.
On September 16, 2025, FIFA officially announced the payment of a record $355 million (€300 million) to clubs involved in the 2026 World Cup, a 70 percent increase compared to the 2022 edition in Qatar.
This sum will be distributed among all clubs that released players for the competition, as well as for the qualifying
matches, which is a major innovation in the system.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will host 48 teams for the first time, with a total of 104 matches. The renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) aims to ensure a fairer redistribution of revenue, recognising the key role clubs play in player development.
During the previous edition in 2022, $209 million was distributed to 440 clubs from 51 federations. This latest increase demonstrates FIFA’s efforts to support the entire global football ecosystem.
Details on the fund distribution process will be announced at a later date.
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