18 African clubs who have released their players for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have received $4,569,981 in compensation from FIFA as part of its Club Benefits Programme.
Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca received the lion's share, with $1,405,305, while the Tunisian trio of Esperance de Tunis, Club Africain and Etoile Sportive received $1,100,517. 3 Cameroonian clubs also took part in the benefits programme: Coton Sport of Garoua received $219,008, Colombe of Dja earned $109,504 and Apejes of Mfou received $73,200, while Senegal's Génération Foot pocketed $20,075.
440 clubs from 51 member associations of the six confederations are involved in the programme to distribute profits to clubs. They will each receive a share of the prize money in return for making their players available for the final competition in Qatar. These figures confirm the positive impact of the most prestigious competition on club football and the fundamental role played by clubs in developing players and making them available to national teams.
The programme is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA), which was recently extended until 2030 at the ECA General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary, in March 2023.
Among the 440 clubs affected by the Qatar 2022™ FIFA World Cup profit-sharing programme are many teams from lower divisions: 78 second division teams, 13 third division clubs, 5 fourth division teams and 1 fifth division team.
In total, FIFA will distribute USD 209 million for the provision of 837 footballers, with the amount per day per player amounting to USD 10,950, irrespective of individual playing time. This total per player is then divided and paid to the club(s) with which each player was registered in the two years prior to the final competition. In accordance with the procedure, FIFA pays these amounts to the clubs concerned via the member associations to which they are affiliated.
"FIFA's club profit distribution programme is a good example of the positive impact of the World Cup on club football," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino, adding:
"Qatar 2022 will undoubtedly be remembered as the highlight of many players' careers, and as well as being one of the most spectacular tournaments of all time, it will contribute to the development of football around the world. The clubs play a vital role in the football ecosystem, and the programme of distributing profits to the clubs is an excellent way of supporting them.
Under the new Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year by FIFA and the ECA, USD 355 million will be distributed to clubs as part of the Club Profits Distribution Programme for the 2026 and 2030 editions of the FIFA World Cup.
