Manchester United could be set for a major financial windfall next summer, with FIFA confirming that clubs will be entitled to receive a portion of the Club Benefits Programme (CBP)
21:53, 16 Sep 2025
Sir Jim Ratcliffe Man Utd
Man Utd could be set for a major windfall
Manchester United could be in for a hefty cash injection courtesy of a FIFA initiative.
The 2026 World Cup, set to take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, could see a host of United stars taking part. If they do, the club stands to gain a significant financial windfall.
FIFA has confirmed that clubs will be entitled to a slice of the Club Benefits Programme (CBP), a scheme also rolled out for the 2022 World Cup. For that tournament.
FIFA dished out a cool $209 million (£153m) to clubs who released their players to participate in the mid-season competition.
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has announced a whopping 70% increase in the funds available through the CBP. The pot to be shared among clubs whose players feature in the tournament has now swelled to $355m (£260m).
It remains to be seen if Man Utd will opt into the scheme
It remains to be seen if Man Utd will opt into the scheme(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
In a first for the programme, FIFA will also compensate clubs that release their players for World Cup qualifiers. United pocketed a tidy $27m (£21.9m) from their players' involvement in Qatar three years ago, reports the Manchester Evening News.
It remains to be seen which United players will definitely be involved in the World Cup, with qualification still underway and squad announcements several months off.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the scheme in a statement.
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"The enhanced edition of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going a step further by recognising financially the huge contribution that so many clubs and their players around the world make to the staging of both the qualifiers and the final tournament.
"A record USD 355 million will be distributed to clubs for the release of their players, and this reinforces our solid collaboration with the European Club Association and clubs worldwide.
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"As we all look forward to a groundbreaking and globally inclusive edition of the FIFA World Cup next year."