Albotola Reveals FIFA World Cup Club Compensation Details for Raja, RS Berkane, and FAR Rabat
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has officially sent a letter to national federations, ahead of the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The letter revealed new details regarding the Club Benefits Programme, which is designed to compensate clubs for releasing their players to participate with their national teams. Among the Moroccan clubs set to benefit are Raja Club Athletic, AS FAR, and Renaissance Sportive de Berkane.
Al-Botola.com obtained a copy of this official letter from sources within the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The document outlines new principles for distributing the programme's revenues, a move aimed at enhancing the benefits clubs receive from their players' participation in the World Cup.
FIFA has decided to provide direct financial compensation to clubs that release players for both the World Cup qualifiers and the tournament finals. This compensation will be calculated based on the number of matches players participate in during the qualifiers and the total number of days they spend with their national teams during the global event.
In its letter to the federations, the FIFA Council clarified that the benefits fund will be divided into two separate portions, as agreed in the renewed Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA). The fund's current value has increased to $355 million, representing a 70 percent increase compared to the Qatar 2022 World Cup edition.
FIFA has allocated $100 million to clubs whose players participated in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. These funds will be distributed based on the number of players involved and the number of matches they played. With 905 qualifying matches taking place, clubs are expected to receive approximately $2,360 per player for each match.
An additional $250 million will be distributed to clubs whose players participate in the World Cup finals, scheduled between June 11 and July 19, 2026. Compensation for this portion will be calculated based on the number of players included in national team squads and the duration of their stay in the tournament.
On a national level, several Moroccan clubs are anticipated to receive financial benefits from FIFA's new program, following the release of their players to participate with the Moroccan and Jordanian national teams in the 2026 World Cup. These clubs include Renaissance Sportive de Berkane, represented by goalkeeper Mounir El Kajoui; AS FAR, through goalkeeper Reda Tagnaouti; and Raja Club Athletic, represented by player Mohamed Bouzraik "Sharara". This compensation will be disbursed according to FIFA's approved mechanism.
It is expected that the minimum compensation will be approximately $5,000 per player per day, with the final figures to be confirmed once the competition concludes.
The remaining amount, estimated at $5 million, will be held in reserve to cover administrative costs associated with the program's implementation. Subsequently, these funds will be directed towards projects and initiatives supporting club football worldwide, in accordance with a joint agreement between FIFA and the European Club Association.
