Chelsea, Arsenal and other clubs with players heading to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup will get a share of $209 million compensation from FIFA, according to football’s governing body.
FIFA has started the application process for its Club Benefits Programme, which will see money distributed to clubs worldwide.
The clubs will get compensation for each day their players are away for the competition, even during the official preparation period.
The scheme is part of a collaboration agreement between FIFA and the European Club Association. It launched ahead of the 2010 World Cup. It then extended in 2015 to cover the next two tournaments.
During the last World Cup, all the clubs with participating players received money from the fund. 416 clubs from 63 member associations benefited from the program in 2018.
Clubs can now apply digitally through the FIFA Professional Football Landscape platform. They will receive $10,000 for each day the relevant player remains with his national team during the 2022 World Cup.
The compensation will go to all clubs the player appeared for in the two years before the tournament.
The scheme will be a financial boost for clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal with several international players.
Edouard Mendy, Thiago Silva, Reece James, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling will be among the Chelsea stars at the World Cup.
Hakim Ziyech could also make the trip with Morocco, while Juventus loanee Denis Zakaria is a regular fixture in the Switzerland squad.
Arsenal will have Aaron Ramsdale, Matt Turner, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus at the tournament.
Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes and Fabio Vieira could join them.
These players could earn their clubs more money by progressing to the latter stages of the tournament.
