A number of Sunderland players have now booked their place at the World Cup this summer
Sunderland are set for a seven-figure revenue boost this summer as a number of their players prepare to depart for the World Cup.
Noah Sadiki and Melker Ellborg are the two latest to potentially book their place at this summer's tournament, after both being in the DR Congo and Sweden squads that won their play-offs against Jamaica and Poland respectively on Tuesday night.
Sunderland have already banked revenue from the recent World Cup qualifiers, after FIFA expanded the Club Benefit programme that sees clubs paid out for the time their players spend with their international squads. FIFA paid out around $209 million to clubs after the Qatar World Cup in 2022, which worked out at around $10,000 for each day a player was at the tournament. The pot has been expanded to around $355 million this time around, and for the first time included payments for qualification games.
With a number of Sunderland players set to feature in the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer, their share of that fund is set to grow. While relatively insignificant when compared to Premier League TV and prize money, it could add up to a reasonably significant boost to the club's revenues. Granit Xhaka, Omar Alderete, Habib Diarra and Nilson Angulo are all regulars for Switzerland, Paraguay, Senegal and Ecuador who have all qualified for the competition. If fit then those players are a lock for their respective squads. Sadiki is a DR Congo regular who will be a regular if fit, while Ellborg now looks to have a strong chance of travelling with Sweden.
The same applies to Robin Roefs with the Netherlands, while Brian Brobbey and Lutsharel Geertruida are strong contenders for that squad having been selected recently by Ronald Koeman. In Geertruida's case, he played in qualifying and the number of positions he can cover will surely work to his benefit. Chemsdine Talbi made his first start for Morocco in a friendly on Tuesday night and having been part of their recent AFCON squad seems likely to travel this summer. Wilson Isidor will also travel after recently opting to represent Haiti, making his first appearances and scoring his first goal during the current break.
Simon Adingra and Arthur Masuaku could also represent the Ivory Coast and DR Congo respectively, though of course there is some doubt over whether they will still be Sunderland players come the summer. If all 12 players do make their World Cup squads, Sunderland are guaranteed a payout for their presence at the fortnight-long group stage and the preparation time that will precede it. If we assume that the players who travel will be on duty for three weeks at a minimum, then each would have earned Sunderland somewhere in the region of £200,000 based on the 2022 system. This time around the pay-out will likely be slightly larger, and will of course be greater for any player whose nation gets past the group stage. With 16 teams making it initially to the knockouts, that is of course a strong possibility.
12 players representing their country for three weeks would have in 2022 earned Sunderland somewhere in the region £2,250,000, a figure they will very possibly exceed this summer. A fraction of the Premier League riches, but a welcome boost all the same.
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