European Clubs to Receive Half of FIFA Club World Cup Solidarity Fund

FIFA and the European Football Clubs (EFC) are close to finalising a deal that would allocate 50 percent of the $250 million (? £185 million) solidarity fund from last year’s Club World Cup to top-division clubs in Europe. The split follows EFC’s original request for just over 60 percent, which was reduced after FIFA pressed for a more balanced global distribution.

The Guardian

Under the draft terms, $125 million of the pot will be earmarked for European clubs that did not take part in the 2025 tournament in the United States. Payments will vary according to the number of seasons each side played in a top league between 2021 and 2024, and an additional share will go to clubs that achieved the best results in UEFA competitions during that period, provided they also missed the Club World Cup. Liverpool, the 2022 Champions League runners-up, is cited as a club likely to receive a higher-end payment.

The Guardian

EFC warned FIFA that it would withhold cooperation on future Club World Cups unless President Gianni Infantino abandons his “FIFA Forward Enterprise” scheme. Infantino, meanwhile, sought to improve his standing in Europe by opening new Latvian Football Association offices in Riga, and is expected to address the EFC assembly in Copenhagen. FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafström is also slated to attend the Copenhagen meeting.

The Guardian

For clubs in smaller European leagues, the promised share could provide a crucial financial lifeline, though the variable formula may produce widely differing payouts. The EFC general assembly is set for a Tuesday in Copenhagen, after which the agreement is expected to be confirmed by the FIFA Council at its scheduled meeting in Zurich on 15 October. A joint commercial venture between FIFA and EFC remains under discussion but is not expected to be signed soon due to ongoing leadership turbulence.

The Guardian