Manchester United is poised to receive a significant financial advantage due to a program initiated by FIFA.
Next summer, the 2026 World Cup will be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Several players from United may participate in the tournament, and if they do, the club stands to gain a financial uplift.
FIFA has confirmed that clubs will be eligible to receive a share of the Club Benefits Programme (CBP), an initiative that was also implemented for the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar. During that event, FIFA allocated $209 million (£153 million) to clubs that permitted their players to compete in the tournament, which occurred in the midst of the Premier League season.
For the upcoming 2026 World Cup, FIFA has announced a 70 percent increase in the funds available for the CBP. The total amount to be distributed to clubs whose players participate in the tournament has now risen to $355 million (£260 million).
In a new development, FIFA will also provide compensation to clubs that release their players for World Cup qualifiers as part of the program. United previously earned an impressive $27 million (£21.9 million) from their players’ involvement in Qatar three years ago.
It remains to be seen which players from United will ultimately participate in the World Cup, as qualification is still in progress and squad confirmations are several months away.
“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,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“A record USD 355 million 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.”
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