When a Premier League club waves off one of its stars to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup 2026, sentiment is only part of the story. There is real money at stake — and clubs across England are well aware of it.

How the FIFA Club Benefits Programme works

FIFA introduced the Club Benefits Programme at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, establishing a formal system to compensate clubs that release players for the tournament. For the 2026 edition in North America, FIFA has pledged a total payout of $355 million (approximately £267 million) to clubs around the world — a sharp increase from the $209 million (£157 million) distributed after Qatar 2022.

Two factors explain that jump. First, this is the first World Cup to feature 48 nations rather than 32, meaning more matches and a longer tournament window. Second, for the first time, FIFA is also compensating clubs for days their players spent in World Cup qualifying — an additional $100 million pot folded into the overall figure.

The per-player, per-day formula

Payments are calculated on a per-player, per-day basis. For the 2026 tournament, clubs earn $5,000 (£3,730) for each day one of their players spends with their national squad, starting from May 25 — the mandatory release date set by FIFA — through to the day after their country's last match.

A player whose nation reaches the final on July 19 will have been away for 57 days, earning their club $285,000 (£214,000) in World Cup fees alone. Qualifying appearances add a further $2,362 (£1,779) per player per day on top of that. Crucially, all players are treated equally under the formula — a starter who plays every minute earns the same for their club as a substitute who never leaves the bench.

Premier League clubs set for a major windfall

Premier League clubs have the most to gain. A record 182 players from clubs across the top flight — including newly-promoted Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Hull City — are representing their countries in North America this summer.

Manchester City, with 19 players at the finals, are among the clubs best positioned to benefit. At Qatar 2022, City topped the global rankings, collecting almost $4.6 million (£3.4 million) in club compensation. Barcelona were close behind at $4.5 million, while Manchester United ($3.3 million) and Chelsea ($3.2 million) were the next highest Premier League earners.

English clubs as a group received $37.7 million (£28.4 million) from Qatar 2022. FIFA distributes the payments after the tournament through each country's member association — in England's case, the FA. With more Premier League players at the 2026 World Cup and a larger total pot, English clubs can expect that figure to rise considerably this summer.