Former WWE Superstar Curtis Axel, real name Joseph Hennig, was arrested in Minnesota earlier this month, according to reports.

The son of WWE icon Mr Perfect, Curt Hennig, was reportedly arrested in Anoka County, Minnesota, on May 17, 2026. That’s according to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson. The 46-year-old was later charged with DUI.

Curtis Axel’s Charges After Arrest

Per the report, Axel was released from prison two days after his arrest and his charges include third-degree driving while impaired, refusing to give a chemical test, obstructing the lawful execution of a legal process, possessing an open bottle of alcohol in the car, and failing to stop after an accident to property that did not involve any injuries.

According to Cultaholic Wrestling, police were called to a McDonald’s in St. Francis at around 9pm following a report of a vehicle reversing into another in the drive-thru, causing damage. Axel was found driving around the car park, and police noticed the smell of alcohol when speaking to him.

“I don’t give a sh**” and “f*** you, you f*****,” were what the wrestler reportedly shouted at officers while refusing to do chemical testing after having to be physically removed from his car.

An employee at the McDonald’s told police that Axel had sworn at staff before reversing into another vehicle. He then got out of his car and yelled at the female whose car he’d just backed into, calling her a ‘b****” and a ‘p****’.

Axel’s Previous Legal Challenges

This isn’t the first time Joseph Hennig has had a brush with the law. American Express received a judgment of $21,357.94 they were owed by Henning for a credit card in 2024. He has since paid $5,936.79, but the remaining $16,774.26 payment is still outstanding.

A further judgment from a housing estate, Estates of Silver Oaks Association, was granted against him and his partner, Brooke Hennig, in 2025 for $4,989.40. That case was reported as closed in early 2026.

More to follow.

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.