More teams, and therefore more players, than ever before will take part in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the first to feature 48 nations. FIFA will smash the previous record for money generated from a tournament, although it will also have to pay clubs more than ever to release players to national teams for a few weeks.

Clubs that release their players for the World Cup are financially compensated through FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme. The fund was set up in 2010, with a share of profits set aside exclusively for clubs that sign up to take part.

How the programme works

FIFA explains how the programme works as follows:

“The total amount allocated for the FIFA Club Benefits Programme is divided by the total number of days spent at the tournament by all the players involved. This equation produces a “per player, per day” figure that can be used to calculate the benefits owed.

“The daily participation figure is then multiplied by the number of days that a player spends at the tournament, which comprises the period from his release for the competition to the date of his national team’s last match. Therefore, the further a national team progress at the tournament, the more that team’s players will earn for their respective clubs. All players within a national-team squad are allocated an equal benefit amount, irrespective of their playing time at the competition.”

Bigger payouts and expanded eligibility

World Cup qualifiers were also included in the programme for the first time in the 2026 cycle, with FIFA setting aside $355 million to distribute to clubs whose players have featured.

For this summer’s tournament, FIFA has not confirmed the exact amount each club will receive, but it is reported to be in the region of $11,000 per day.

That works out at approximately $250,000 for a player whose national team is eliminated in the group stage, which is the minimum payout.

That same figure applies to all clubs, whether it is Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Al-Hussein, who are likely to provide a number of players to the Jordan national team.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.