The 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest tournament yet, with an expansion of nations competing in the grandest stage of them all this summer.

There will be the first-ever 48-team contest, along with a new round of 32 stage, which means more games, and naturally more money flowing in.

Domestic football clubs can expect to enjoy some of the riches on offer from FIFA once the World Cup has ended, with a programme setup for those who release their players to compete over the summer months.

So, here’s everything you need to know about how much money FIFA will pay clubs for players featuring at the 2026 World Cup.

How Does The FIFA Programme Work?

The payments from FIFA to the clubs for the release of players for the competition come under the “Club Benefits Programme“, with the breakdown of the payment shown after the end of the World Cup cycle.

This agreement was signed between FIFA and the European Club Association (ECA), with a renewed understanding in 2023 updating the amount of money available for the 2023-2026 cycle.

Compensation available to clubs doesn’t just come from those who represented teams in the World Cup year, but to any club that player represented in the two prior years.

For instance, Marc Guehi‘s appearances for England would benefit both Manchester City and Crystal Palace with compensation, as he has represented both since 2023.

FIFA World Cup Money Rule Change

For the 2026 World Cup cycle, there has been a rule change that will result in clubs being compensated for players featuring in qualification games, as well as the tournament itself.

That means more money will be shared around, which is good news for the teams who release players featuring for nations who didn’t make it to the finals in North America.

How Much FIFA Is Offering Clubs

FIFA has announced that $355 million (£265 million) will be available as part of the Club Benefit Programme, which will cover both the World Cup and the qualifiers.

While the rate of pay for the World Cup itself is yet to be announced, the payment structure is set to include 10 days before the opening match up until their final match of the tournament.

Reports have suggested that the payment fee could be in the range of $11,000 (£8,210) per day, though it remains to be seen whether that will be the case.

That could see clubs earn upwards of $250,000 (£186,600) for one player simply getting knocked out in the group stages with their respective nation.

World Cup 2022 Money Comparison

The World Cup in Qatar 2022 had $209 million (£160.9 million) distributed across clubs, with 440 clubs receiving compensation for the release of players.

While the figure is $146 million lower than that of the 2026 tournament, the reported distribution per day was similar, coming in at $10,950 (£8,173).

There were fewer clubs to distribute to, due to a smaller tournament and no need to give out money for the qualification rounds either, explaining why the figure is similar.

Manchester City topped the table for most money earned from the World Cup in 2022, sending 16 players to Qatar, earning a hefty $4.6million (£3.54million) sum for their troubles.

Manchester United ($3.33 million/£2.51 million) and Chelsea ($3.25 million/£2.51 million) were just behind in the rankings for second and third in the Premier League.

Which Club Could Earn The Most?

In the Premier League, there will be plenty of representation at the World Cup, though the final amount paid out to those clubs will depend on how deep into the tournament their star players will go.

As of writing, here are the top-five best represented Premier League clubs from the squads that have been announced so far:

All of those clubs have a good chance of being the highest-paid from the compensation laid out by FIFA, having a strong core of players featuring for nations that are expected to make deep runs in the tournament.

It remains to be seen whether that will be the case or not, by the time the football is played on the pitch.

Manchester United have completed the signing of Atalanta midfielder Ederson, according to club insider Sully.

Man United‘s interest in the Brazilian has ramped up in recent weeks, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on Wednesday evening that an agreement to sign the 26-year-old was ‘very close’, with an agreement on personal terms already reached.

Romano confirmed at the time that it was now up to United whether they wanted to proceed with the Atalanta star, or pursue other midfield targets instead.

All the signals are that Ederson will soon become a Red Devils player though, as United look to complete a major rebuild of their midfield for Michael Carrick during the summer transfer window.

With Casemiro leaving and Manuel Ugarte out of favour and expected to follow him through the Old Trafford exit door, Kobbie Mainoo is the only specialist first-team central midfielder left at the club.

Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount did play in the position throughout the season, but both players are more suited to playing further forward.

One report has suggested that if Ugarte does go, then the Red Devils could look to bring in up to three new central midfielders in the summer.

‘Welcome to Man United’ – Insider Hints Ederson Transfer Done

Sully posted ‘welcome to Manchester United’, accompanied by a video Ederson’s highlights, on X on Thursday afternoon, suggesting that an agreement is now complete for the Brazil international.

The Times reported on Wednesday that a £38m agreement had been reached between the two clubs, but Romano suggested that wasn’t quite true when he provided an update on Wednesday night, although he did admit an agreement was on the brink.

One big positive of United signing Ederson is the fact that he hasn’t been called up to the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup, which means he will be ready for the start of pre-season.

Man United Still Need Casemiro Replacement

Reports have suggested that United want to sign a top-class replacement for Casemiro in the summer who will cost around the £80m mark, so it would be safe to assume that the Brazilian won’t be the direct replacement for his counterpart at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are eyeing other big-money midfielders like Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, with the latter attracting the most talk in recent days.

Reports out of Italy have suggested that United are also close to an agreement to bring the €100m-rated Italy international to Old Trafford.

With the 2026/27 season on the way, teams around the world have begun to unveil their new kits for the upcoming campaign, many of which are likely to go down in history as iconic designs associated with moments of brilliance.

Be it a title win, a trophy lift, continental qualification, or simply unexpected survival in a division, each shirt has a story to tell about a season come the end.

But while we wait for those stories to be written on the pitch, all we can do now is simply admire the kits for their design, and there are some good ones to eye up already.

So, with that said, here’s a look at the best kit designs for 2026/27 revealed so far.

10

Liverpool (Home)

Adidas/Liverpool 2026/27 kit

Liverpool‘s 2026/27 home kit is a throwback design inspired by the shirt the club wore from 1989 until 1991, which saw the Reds win the league title in 1989/90.

The Adidas design throws in similar patterns to that original kit, which it is well-remembered for alongside the Candy sponsorship, while it includes red and white trim around the collar, as well as the three strips on the shoulders that the kit manufacturers are well-known for.

It doesn’t quite nail the same aesthetic, but it gets relatively close, though there is no particular reason why that old design was chosen other than it being a relatively iconic look.

The new typeface on the back of the shirts does go well with the kit, however, and is certainly in with a shout of being among the top spots for the kits revealed so far.

9

Manchester United (Home)

Adidas/Manchester United

Manchester United will mark their return to the Champions League with a home kit that looks exactly how a United home kit should look.

The Adidas design comes with the usual red base, with white details with the shoulder stripes, as well as the kit manufacturer’s logo and the sponsor.

The collar looks smart, and the accents on the outside of it, as well as the arms, come with a white and black mix that has become synonymous with Man United kits.

That design is claimed to represent the iconic 1970s look.

8

Arsenal (Home)

Adidas/Arsenal

After being crowned Premier League champions for 2025/26, Arsenal quickly moved to unveil their new look for the following season, with hopes that the kit will see them win another trophy or two.

While it is the usual red and white expected of the Gunners in collaboration with Adidas, the finer details are a celebration of the club’s move to the Emirates Stadium 20 years ago.

The collar, shoulder trim and arm trim are all fit with a special design, meant to represent the stadium’s architecture after finally making the place feel like home.

It’s nothing too extravagant, but it screams Arsenal, and that’s all that the home kit needs to do.

7

Bayern Munich (Home)

Adidas/Bayern Munich

Adidas continues to be ahead of the pack when it comes to releasing kits early on, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich next up in the ranking.

After a design that was pretty out there for 2025/26, there is a return to something that is instantly recognisable as the Bavarian club.

There’s a return to an all-red base, with slightly darker red stripes in the centre of the kit, which keeps it slightly more subtle compared to the white stripe and white hoop designs of the 2010s.

As always, Adidas have their iconic stripes across the shoulders, along with a nice white trim across the collar and arms that help add that little bit of flair to an otherwise clean design.

6

Manchester City (Home)

Puma/Manchester City

We have a new kit manufacturer entering the fray for this list, and it’s Puma, who have come out with a bold new look for Manchester City, during what is set to be a bold new era for the club.

The first post-Pep Guardiola shirt features the usual sky blue, but there is a gradient through the kit that fades to white at the bottom, which carries on to the short design, while there are white trims across the kit, as well as white logos across the kit.

The theme is “Not Your Typical City”, with the idea being about change and moving forward, as represented in the kit being something a bit different.

It’s certainly fresh and distinctive, and it should look good on the pitch come August.

5

Celtic (Home)

Adidas/Celtic

Celtic won the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership in dramatic fashion, but remain top of the tree in the division, and will be looking to retain the title again in 2026/27.

The new home shirt for the campaign is an impressive one, and while the gold could represent the recent title win, it is actually an anniversary kit.

The design pays tribute to the Lisbon Lions, the Celtic team in 1967 that won the European Cup in impressive fashion with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan.

Within the gold accents there is also the phrase “60 Anniversario” above the crest, topping off a kit that includes the traditional green and white hoops and the usual Adidas stripes on the shoulders.

4

Juventus (Home)

Adidas/Juventus

Sticking with the gold theme, Juventus and Adidas have smashed it out the park with an impressive design for the 2026/27 home kit.

The club crest, Adidas logo, and sponsor are all draped in gold, with a kit that is meant to represent tradition and heritage in what could be an important campaign for the Bianconeri.

While the stripes are further apart than other recent kits, the polo-styled collar makes it look like a timeless entry from Juventus that could look smart on the biggest stage.

3

Real Betis (Home)

Hummel/Real Betis

Welcome Hummel to the mix, as their entry for Real Betis is a mixture of iconic and fresh to create something fascinating for the 2026/27 La Liga campaign.

The home kit plays on the usual green and white stripes, but with distorted stripes across the top and bottom thirds of the kit to stand out from other designs.

The wide v-neck collar gives it a sleek look that will make it a fan-favourite for many football fans looking at kits across the world for the coming campaign.

2

Aston Villa (Home)

Adidas/Aston Villa

Adidas has simply smashed it out of the park with this Aston Villa home kit, opting for a throwback look that harks back to designs from the 1960s.

The club has gone back to just claret and blue across the whole shirt, including the kit crest and the Adidas logo, making it fit the two-tone look.

It’s a clean and effective look that fits that of European champions, though it remains to be seen whether a sponsor could change how the overall design comes across.

1

Lyon (Away)

Adidas/Lyon

Taking top spot (for now) is Lyon‘s away kit for the 2026/27 season, which puts together a burgundy and gold mixture to come out looking classy.

The design pays tribute to the city’s silk workers and craftmanship, going for style and substance without adding too much or too little to the overall kit.

The crest opts for just the lion that features in the “O” of the modern OL badge, while Adidas have decided to include the trefoil logo over their newer three-striped option, bringing together a classic look.

The design is brought together by the polo-styled collar, making this the best-looking kit currently revealed.