Man City once again claimed the top spot in FIFA’s payout to clubs whose players represented their national teams in Qatar in a striking repeat of the previous World Cup. Out of the $209 million allocated by FIFA, the Premier League and Champions League champions raked in a staggering sum of nearly $4.6 million.
To put that into perspective, this amount eclipsed the total amount received by the entire continent of Africa, which had five national teams participating in the World Cup. The published list revealed that a combined total of 18 African clubs earned $4.57 million.
FIFA’s payments, funded by their $7.5 billion income from the four-year commercial cycle primarily linked to the 2022 tournament, were distributed to 440 clubs across 51 countries. This initiative, reminiscent of the 2010 World Cup, highlighted how clubs in the wealthier and more influential realms of soccer have managed to nurture and retain the finest talents in the sport.
FIFA’s generosity knows no bounds as they boost their payments to a whopping $8,530 per player, a remarkable increase from the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
European Clubs Dominate FIFA Payments: Man City and Barcelona Lead the Way
European clubs affiliated with UEFA enjoyed the lion’s share of the fund, receiving $159 million, which accounted for 76% of the total allocation. English clubs, in particular, amassed $37.7 million. Astonishingly, even a fifth-tier English club, Boreham Wood, received more than double the FIFA payment ($31,026) compared to Santos, the renowned Brazilian team where Pelé once called home and Neymar began his career ($15,513).
FIFA determined the payments for players in the tournament by calculating a daily rate of $10,950 for each of the 837 participants. This rate continued until the day after their team’s final match. The portion assigned to each player was then divided among the clubs they were officially registered with in the 2020-21 season.
For Man City, payments were due for players such as Julián Álvarez and their former defender Nicolás Otamendi from Argentina’s victorious team, six members of England’s quarterfinalist squad, and the influential Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, whose journey ended in the group stage. In the 2018 World Cup in Russia, City had received a staggering $5 million, topping the list of payments from FIFA’s $209 million fund.
Following Manchester City, Barcelona emerged as the second-highest earner on the 2022 list, amassing $4.54 million. This figure included $131,405 for Lionel Messi’s time with the club during the 2020-21 season before his move to Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern Munich also secured a significant share, exceeding $4.3 million, with payments allocated to four players from France’s runner-up squad.
The competition remained fierce as Real Madrid and PSG found themselves tied in fourth and fifth place, both reaping substantial rewards with $3.80 million (£2.95 million) each.
Unexpected Triumphs: Underdogs and Surprises in FIFA’s World Cup Player Fund
Yet, the benefits of this financial windfall weren’t exclusive to the upper echelons of football. Even League Two underdogs, Swindon, had a representative in the form of Wales’ Jonny Williams at the World Cup. Despite an early exit and finishing at the bottom of their group with a single point, Swindon still earned a remarkable $108,591 (£83,594). This unexpected success serves as a testament to the wide-ranging impact of the World Cup player fund.
Despite Italy’s absence from the World Cup, 27 Italian clubs collectively earned $18.7 million from their foreign players. Juventus received over $3 million, including a specific amount of $394,215 designated for Adrien Rabiot from France. Contributions were also received from the Argentine trio of Ángel Di María, Leandro Paredes, and Paulo Dybala.
Notably, a player who reached the final with both Argentina and France while being registered with the same club since the start of the 2020-21 season earned $394,215 for that particular club.
Curiously, legendary Argentine club Boca Juniors was only due to receive $32,851 for defender Nahuel Molina’s short stint with the club in the 2020-21 season before his move to Europe. Meanwhile, their Buenos Aires rival, River Plate, was entitled to $1.2 million.
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Global Rewards: FIFA’s Distribution of World Cup Payments Across Continents
Spanish clubs collectively garnered $24.2 million, German clubs shared just over $21 million, and French clubs received a payout of $16.5 million.
In Asia, Saudi Arabian clubs topped the list with $6.6 million, while Qatar’s clubs, being the host nation, accumulated $6.3 million. American clubs secured $5.4 million, with the Seattle Sounders leading the pack with a payment of $827,000.
Morocco’s historic journey as the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals was largely facilitated by Europe-based players. Only two Moroccan clubs in Casablanca, Wydad and Raja, received money from FIFA, amounting to $1.4 million and $31,938, respectively.
| POSITION | PRIZE MONEY (USD) |
| Winner | $42m |
| Runner-up | $30m |
| Third place | $27m |
| Fourth place | $25m |
| Quarter-final | $17m |
| Last 16 | $13m |
| Group stage | $9m |
Interestingly, Génération Foot, a single club in Senegal, received only $20,075 for the 27 players in the national team squad who made it to the round of 16 in Qatar. This amount included compensation for notable players like Sadio Mané, who unfortunately had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury before the first game.
The allocation of payments to clubs from FIFA’s World Cup revenues was established through an agreement with the European Club Association, a consortium of clubs formed in 2008. The total fund amount is subject to negotiation during the renewal of FIFA-ECA working agreements and is expected to reach an impressive $355 million for each men’s World Cup in 2026 and 2030.
