Non-league football clubs set for World Cup windfall from Fifa
Non-league football clubs are set for financial windfalls after changes were made to the way Fifa distributes its compensation for the release of international players for the World Cup.
The changes, agreed by Fifa and the European Club Association, mean that all teams who release players for the 2026 World Cup or its qualifiers will receive payment.
They will share in an enhanced kitty for the Fifa Club Benefits Programme, which has been boosted almost 70 per cent from $209m over the Qatar 2022 World Cup cycle to $355m (£261m).
Among the teams who could benefit are seneth-tier Uxbridge and eighth-tier Takeley, who have both had players called up by Anguilla for World Cup qualifiers this year.
“The enhanced edition of the Fifa Club Benefits Programme for the Fifa World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognising financially the huge contribution that so many clubs and their players around the world make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
“A record $355m will be distributed to clubs for the release of their players, and this reinforces our solid collaboration with the European Club Association and clubs worldwide as we all look forward to a groundbreaking and globally inclusive edition of the Fifa World Cup next year.”
Clubs ‘pivotal to success of World Cup’
ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said the revised programme would “ensure even more clubs across the world are rewarded for releasing players and highlights exactly how ECA’s Memorandum of Understanding with Fifa supports the ongoing growth of the global club game.
“Clubs play a pivotal role in the success of national team football and this initiative recognises every element of it, from early development through to release for the most important games.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Fifa, and the global football community, to ensure we keep driving growth and development of international football.”
The 2026 World Cup is set to be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, with the States staging most of the games including the final.