Football ruling body FIFA is to distribute approximately €307 million ($354.48 million) in compensation to the clubs who are releasing players for the national teams at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the FIFA Council said.
The amount is nearly 70% more than what was distributed at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Back then, however, there were 32 participating teams, whereas in the 2026 tournament there will be 48 nations.
Around €87 million has been set aside for clubs that have released players for the World Cup qualifiers. With a total of 905 matches played, the compensation amounts to approximately €2,000 per player per match.
An additional €216 million is set aside to the clubs whose players are participating in the final tournament. The compensation is calculated on a per-player, per-day basis, with a minimum compensation of approximately €4,300 euros.
According to FIFA, a reserve of approximately €4.3 million is to be allocated to global club football after administrative costs are deducted.
The World Cup kicks off next Thursday with the opening match between co-host Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
