Do clubs get paid when players go to the World Cup? FIFA’s 2026 payouts explained

Big payday for Manchester City. The club is set to receive a multimillion-dollar payout thanks to the performances of its players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nineteen City players took part in the tournament, and under FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme (CBP), clubs are compensated for releasing players to represent their national teams. The side now managed by Enzo Maresca will receive more than $4 million, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal close behind.

For years, there has been a genuine tug-of-war between clubs and national teams. Clubs would rather their players not log too many international matches, as the risk of injury is always present and the increasingly crowded calendar makes squad management even more difficult. FIFA, however, offsets some of that burden through its financial compensation program, which pays clubs for releasing players to international tournaments.

How much did Manchester City get paid by FIFA?

The 2026 World Cup featured the biggest stars in the game, and with the tournament now complete, it is possible to calculate how much each club earned from having players involved. Manchester City will take home around $4 million. According to multiple estimates, clubs receive around $5,000 per player per day for every day a player remains in the competition. With 19 players at the tournament, City once again tops the list of beneficiaries. It also marks the third straight World Cup in which the club has earned the most through the program, having also led the way in 2022 and 2018.

Among City’s biggest contributors were Rodri, captain of world champion Spain; Erling Haaland, who represented Norway; and Nico O’Reilly, one of England’s rising stars, who helped his country reach the semifinals. The club could have earned even more had several other players advanced deeper into the tournament. Portugal’s Rúben Dias and Matheus Nunes were eliminated in the Round of 16, while Jérémy Doku impressed for Belgium before his team was knocked out by Spain in the quarterfinals.

FIFA will distribute a total of approximately $355 million through the program. Barcelona ranks second after having eight players on Spain’s World Cup-winning squad. With so many representatives reaching the final, the Catalan club is expected to receive nearly $4 million. Next come Bayern Munich (about $3.4 million), Arsenal ($3.3 million), Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid (both around $3.2 million). Real Madrid sits ninth with approximately $2.5 million.

In this category, UEFA has no equal. European clubs account for roughly 70% of the total payout. Of the top 15 clubs in the rankings, Al Hilal is the only non-European representative, placing 11th. Europe’s dominance continues to widen the gap over the rest of world soccer. At the top of the list, however, one club still reigns supreme: Manchester City.

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