FIFA World Cup 2026: distribution of profits to clubs ($355m, +70%) extended to qualifying rounds

FIFA will distribute $355m (€300m) to clubs as part of the programme for distributing the profits generated by the 2026 World Cup, it announced on 16/09/2025, nine months ahead of the competition's opening match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City (MEX) on 11/06/2026.

This record sum, which is 70% higher than that for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ($209m/€188m paid to 440 clubs), will also pay a record number of clubs, as the programme has been extended to include 2026 World Cup qualifiers, for a total of 1,009 matches involved in all phases.

"This new approach means that any club that releases a player for a FIFA World Cup 26 qualifier will now be directly compensated for said release, irrespective of whether the player plays at the final tournament, an additional step to increase solidarity aimed at providing a fairer and more inclusive redistribution across global club football," explained FIFA.

The new version of the programme for distributing profits to clubs was established when Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, chairman of the European Club Association, and Gianni Infantino, president of…