Liverpool to receive cut of $355M windfall thanks to eight FIFA World Cup stars
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.
Liverpool is slated to receive a chunk of the $355m (£265m) that FIFA is rewarding clubs for releasing players to compete in the 2026 World Cup this summerFIFA is awarding clubs $355 million to release players for this year's World Cup(Image: Getty Images)Liverpool will be paid handsomely by FIFA as the Reds’ biggest stars compete in the 2026 World Cup.The 2025-26 campaign hardly went according to plan for Liverpool, who sacked Arne Slot last weekend after finishing trophyless and barely secured a spot in the Champions League. It didn’t take long for the Reds to find the Dutchman’s replacement, with Andoni Iraola quickly slotting in as the club’s next head coach upon reaching a formal agreement on Thursday.Despite coming off an underwhelming season, Liverpool will still send eight players to this year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Among those representing their nations on the global stage include goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Brazil), defender Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), midfielders Ryan Gravenberch (Netherlands), Wataru Endo (Japan), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) and Florian Wirtz (Germany), as well as forwards Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) and Alexander Isak (Sweden).Fortunately for Liverpool, FIFA has promised to award clubs $355 million (£265m) for releasing players to participate in the quadrennial tournament.Back in 2010, the global governing body launched the Fifa Club Benefit Program in order to fairly compensate teams that were allowing their players to spend weeks at a time with their national clubs.Of the $355 million that makes up the club compensation pot, $250 million (£187m) will be devoted to the World Cup. For the first time, another $100 million (£75m) will be set aside for the qualifying round matches.The leftover $5 million (£3.75m), meanwhile, will be dedicated to the betterment of club football, as per an agreement between FIFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) following the deduction of administrative costs stemming from program implementation.Virgil van Dijk headlines the group of Liverpool stars slated to compete in the 2026 World Cup(Image: Getty Images)Once a player is released to participate in the World Cup, they earn $5,000 (£3,730) per day for their club until the day after their national team is ousted from the tournament.For qualifying round matches, players made $2,362 (£1,765) for their club during each contest they were on a matchday squad.Given that FIFA’s hard deadline for clubs to release players was May 25, the minimum amount a player can earn their club during the tournament is $160,000 (£119,500) across 14 days.If a player reaches the Final, they would procure $285,000 (£212,900) for their team over 57 days — including the day following the tournament.Should a player switch teams after the expiration of their contract, FIFA’s compensation payments are split between the two clubs.Such is the case with Andy Robertson, who completed his move to Tottenham as a free agent earlier this week following his emotional exit from Anfield.Thanks to the Scotland captain, Liverpool will receive payments from FIFA up until June 30 — at which point Tottenham will accept any of the subsequent earnings from July 1.