According to AS, Manchester City received over €4 million in aid for the World Cup, making them the biggest beneficiary of FIFA's club aid program.
Manchester City has secured a significant sum. The Etihad Stadium will receive a substantial payment due to the performances of its players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nineteen players will participate in the tournament. FIFA's Club Assistance Scheme provides financial compensation to clubs that supply players to the event.
The team now managed by Enzo Maresca will receive over €4 million. Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal follow closely behind. The conflict between clubs and national teams has existed for many years. Clubs want their players to avoid playing too many matches for their national teams. The risk of injury is always present, and the sheer number of matches in a season makes team preparations very difficult. However, FIFA has a financial compensation scheme that allows clubs to receive a reward after releasing players to compete. The 2026 World Cup will feature many of the strongest teams.
After the tournament concludes, each club that sent players can calculate their earnings. Manchester City received close to €4 million. According to various estimates, a club can earn €5,000 for each day a player remains at the World Cup. With 19 players participating, Manchester City became the highest-earning club. This marks Manchester City's third consecutive World Cup topping the earnings list, following their positions in 2022 and 2018.
Manchester City's standout players included Spain captain Rodri and the newly crowned world champions. Also noteworthy were Norwegian striker Haaland and promising young star Nico O'Reilly, who helped England reach the semi-finals. Many more players could have made it to the final stages. Portugal's Ruben Dias and Matthäus Nunes failed to reach the quarter-finals. Doku performed brilliantly for Belgium, but the team was knocked out of the semi-finals by Spain.
FIFA allocated a total prize pool of approximately €311 million. Barcelona ranked second. The Catalan club had as many as eight players selected for the Spanish national team. Because of their run to the final, Barcelona became one of the biggest beneficiaries, earning close to €3.5 million.
Following them are Bayern Munich (€3 million), Arsenal (€2.9 million), Paris Saint-Germain, and Atletico Madrid (all €2.8 million). Real Madrid ranks ninth with €2.2 million. UEFA is unrivaled in this regard, taking 70% of the total prize pool.
Of the top 15, only Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia ranked 11th. European football's dominance remains evident, widening the gap between European football and other continents. The champion, of course, is still Manchester City.
