FIFA has announced a 70 per cent increase in its Club Benefits Programme for the 2026 World Cup, raising the total fund to a record $355 million. The decision, confirmed on Friday, will see clubs receiving a minimum of $5,000 per player per day during the tournament in North America, with final sums adjusted for match-day involvement and minutes played. The expansion to 48 teams — up from 32 in Qatar — means 1,248 players from clubs worldwide will trigger payments, yet the per‑player daily rate has fallen from the 2022 edition, a detail that has drawn criticism in some footballing corners.

For the first time, the programme extends to World Cup qualifiers, with $100 million of the total pot allocated to clubs that released players for the 905 qualifying matches. Each club will earn roughly $2,360 per player per match in the qualifiers, a recognition of the financial strain that international breaks place on domestic sides. The remaining $255 million is reserved for the final tournament, marking a significant step in FIFA’s efforts to smooth relations between the global calendar and club interests.

Viewed from São Paulo, the windfall is notable: leading Brazilian clubs such as Flamengo and Palmeiras stand to collect tens of thousands of dollars daily for their contingent of internationals, with Palmeiras alone expecting around R$399,000 each day for its seven selected players. European clubs, which have historically lobbied hardest for such compensation, are again the largest beneficiaries under a renewed memorandum with the European Club Association. Yet in Tehran, the mood is more ambivalent; local media lament that the daily fee has effectively halved compared with earlier calculations, a blow for Iranian clubs that rely almost entirely on such external revenue in the absence of meaningful match‑day income.

Analysts in London note that the increased pay‑outs reflect FIFA’s buoyant finances, with the organisation forecasting a 56 per cent jump in revenue this year compared with 2022, driven by an enlarged World Cup and a new Club World Cup format. The 2022 programme distributed $209 million among 440 clubs, but the expanded field and inclusion of qualifying windows are designed to share the spoils more widely. Whether the per‑player rates keep pace with the influx of funds, however, remains a point of tension as the 2026 tournament approaches.