European clubs set for $125m Club World Cup solidarity share
European top flight clubs that missed the 2025 Club World Cup are set to receive $125 million from its solidarity fund under a proposed agreement between FIFA and European Football Clubs.
FIFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) are close to agreeing that European teams will receive half of the $250 million solidarity fund established for clubs that did not participate in the 2025 Club World Cup.The proposed $125 million European share would leave the other half for clubs elsewhere in the world, ending a prolonged dispute over how the tournament’s wider financial benefits should be distributed.According to The Guardian, EFC initially sought slightly more than 60% of the fund but accepted a proposed 50–50 division after FIFA pressed for a more even global split.Under the emerging arrangement, top flight European clubs that did not play in the tournament would receive payments partly based on the number of seasons they spent in their domestic first division between 2021 and 2024.A further element would reward non-participating clubs for their performances in UEFA competitions during that period, meaning individual payments could differ substantially.Liverpool, who reached the 2022 Champions League final but did not take part in the Club World Cup, are expected to be among the clubs receiving a larger allocation.The proposed distribution still requires ratification, with confirmation expected after the FIFA Council meets on October 15.FIFA announced the $250 million solidarity target alongside $1 billion in prize money for the 32 clubs that played in the expanded tournament, arguing that its proceeds should benefit club football beyond the participants.More than a year after the competition, however, non-participating clubs are still waiting for their share, prompting frustration among teams for whom even a relatively modest payment could make a meaningful difference.EFC previously described the lack of a distribution agreement as “of serious disappointment to EFC and our member clubs” during its wider dispute with FIFA over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise investment proposal.The solidarity negotiations have continued despite those governance tensions, while a proposed joint venture between EFC and FIFA to manage commercial aspects of global club competitions remains unresolved.Agreement on the European share would settle the first question facing clubs, but the full value of each payment and the timetable for distribution will become clear only after the allocation rules receive formal approval.