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FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA) announced on Monday that the compensation given to clubs who release players for the men’s World Cup has increased by almost 70% to $355 million for the 2026 and 2030 competitions.
The Club Benefits Plan protects the clubs in the event that their players get injured while serving on an international mission as well as grants clubs a percentage of national team competition income in exchange for releasing players.
Before to this, $209 million had been set aside for the World Cups in 2018 and 2022. At the ECA general meeting, which was held in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, a new memorandum of agreement was signed.
“We are happy to have signed this landmark agreement,” ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.
“The MoU recognises the central role of clubs in football globally and ensures that they are properly represented in decision making around issues which affect them.”
Earlier this month, FIFA announced a 32-team Club World Cup will hold every four years from June 2025, replacing its annual competition that featured seven teams.
FIFA gives clubs a share of national team competition revenues in return for releasing players
That decision was reached with opposition from leagues such as Spain’s LaLiga but the MoU will now have both FIFA and the ECA working together on its various sporting and commercial aspects for the 2025 edition.
“FIFA and ECA will also now establish closer working practices on a future new Club World Cup… and working together on future editions including on potential structures for managing the commercial rights going forward.”
FIFA also announced a newly structured international calendar the ECA endorsed according to president Gianni Infantino
“To have the new International Match Calendar endorsed by ECA provides the necessary balance between club and national team football,” Infantino said.
“We have exciting projects ahead, including the new FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and the new FIFA women’s Club World Cup. A close collaboration with clubs in Europe, and the rest of the world, will be essential for the success of those events.”