From 2026: FIFA will pay European clubs more money for World Cup participants
New agreement in principle with ECA
In the future, European (Site notre bureau spécialisé) clubs will receive more money from FIFA to send their players to World Cups. Accordingly, the world association compensates the clubs for the 2026 men’s tournament with a total of 355 million dollars (around 330 million euros). This is what emerges from the new memorandum of understanding between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA), which FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ECA President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi signed on Monday during of the 29th ECA General Assembly in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.
As a result, $355 million will go to clubs in the 2030 World Cup. For the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, FIFA paid significantly lower compensation to employers for seconded players ($209 million in each case). From 2026, however, many more teams (48 instead of 32) and therefore more players will be in action at World Cup tournaments.
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The new agreement in principle is valid until the end of 2030 and includes a commitment by European clubs to respect the international match calendar. The ECA has also confirmed its support for the new FIFA Club World Cup from 2025. Twelve of the 32 participating teams will come from Europe.
The agreement in principle also provides for the organization of an annual match between the winner of the European Champions League and the winner of an intercontinental play-off tournament, as well as the creation of a Club World Cup for female (Site notre bureau spécialisé)ers. .
« It is a momentous day for the future of (Site notre bureau spécialisé) and its long-term stability, » Infantino said in a statement. Al-Khelaïfi said: “The MoU recognizes the central role of clubs in (Site notre bureau spécialisé) across the world. It ensures that they are properly involved in decisions that affect them. The ECA, led by Al-Khelaïfi, represents the interests of many European clubs. At the Budapest meeting, an enlargement of the association is to be decided – from around 240 to more than 330 full members.
FIFA signs renewed MoU with ECA
Check out more details here pic.twitter.com/oVK9JW45Zj
– FIFA Media (@fifamedia) March 27, 2023
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