Arsenal are set to turn World Cup call-ups into cash. They will have 16 players representing their countries at the tournament across Canada, Mexico and the United States, and FIFA's Club Benefits Programme could hand them a seven-figure payout depending on how deep those players go.
FIFA allocated $355m (£264m) to the programme ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Arsenal sit behind only Manchester City among Premier League clubs for World Cup representation, with City on 19 players.
Why Arsenal are in line for a payout
The basic idea is simple enough. Clubs are compensated for the time their players spend at the World Cup, so the longer a squad member stays in the tournament, the bigger the total gets.
That is why Arsenal's 16 call-ups matter. The club could bank £2,732,016 in a worst-case scenario if none of their players reach the knockout stages. If England win the World Cup, that figure drops to £1,463,580, with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze each earning £365,895 in participation fees.
football.london reported that Arsenal are set to receive a seven-figure sum from FIFA for their players' participation. That looks a fair expectation given the size of the squad heading to the tournament and the scale of the programme itself.
Arsenal are also top of the Premier League, which helps explain why so many of their players are heading to the tournament. The club have strength in depth, and that strength now has a direct financial upside.
Manchester City are the only Premier League club ahead
Manchester City are the only Premier League club with more World Cup representatives than Arsenal, and the gap is just three players. That is the clearest sign that this is not a minor windfall story, but one attached to one of the league's strongest squads.
There is one detail worth keeping separate from the money angle. football.london said Arsenal could receive £1,463,580 if England win the World Cup, but the same report also attached a £68m Crystal Palace move to Noni Madueke. That transfer detail is misattributed, and the associated fee belongs with Eberechi Eze, not Madueke.
The payout itself is not fixed yet because FIFA has not announced the 2026 per-player daily rate. What Arsenal do know is that 16 call-ups put them in line for a major cheque, and the final total will depend on how far Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and the rest go over the next few weeks.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →