World Cup
FIFA’s jumbo payment for Man City as club with highest number of Qatar World Cup players
For the second straight World Cup, Manchester City topped the list of FIFA payments to clubs whose players were selected for the 32 national teams in Qatar.
From the $209 million fund allocated by FIFA, the Premier League and Champions League winner received almost $4.6 million — eclipsing the total sent to the entire continent of Africa, which had five national teams at the World Cup. The list published Thursday showed a total of 18 African clubs combined to earn $4.57 million.
FIFA said 440 clubs in 51 countries were rewarded with payments funded by the governing body’s $7.5 billion income for the four-year commercial cycle mostly tied to the 2022 men’s tournament.
The project that was launched for the 2010 World Cup again starkly showed how clubs in soccer’s wealthiest and dominant continent have nurtured, lured and retained much of the best talent.
Clubs in UEFA member countries got $159 million, 76% of the total fund, and clubs in England accounted for $37.7 million, FIFA said.
A fifth-tier club in England, Boreham Wood, got more than double the FIFA payment — $31,026 vs $15,513 — due to Santos, the storied Brazilian team that was Pelé’s home and where Neymar started his career.
FIFA calculated the payments at a daily rate of $10,950 for each of 837 players doing duty in Qatar until the day after their team’s last game. Each player’s allocation was divided among clubs who held their registration since the 2020-21 season.
Man City was due payments for players ranging from Julián Álvarez and its former defender Nicolás Otamendi in Argentina’s title-winning team, six members of England’s quarterfinalist team and Belgium playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who exited in the group stage. City had received a list-leading $5 million from FIFA’s $209 million at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Barcelona was the next highest earner on the 2022 list with $4.54 million, including $131,405 for Lionel Messi’s time with the club in 2020-21 until leaving for Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern Munich’s share was more than $4.3 million, including payments for four players from runner-up France’s squad.
Though Italy did not qualify for the World Cup, 27 Italian clubs earned a total of $18.7 million from their foreign players. Juventus got more than $3 million, including $394,215 for France’s Adrien Rabiot and allocations from Argentina trio Ángel Di María, Leandro Paredes and Paulo Dybala.
A player with finalists Argentina and France who had been with the same club since the start of the 2020-21 season earned $394,215 for that club.
However, storied Argentinian club Boca Juniors is due just $32,851 for defender Nahuel Molina’s brief stay with the club in the 2020-21 season before moving to Europe. River Plate, Boca’s rival in Buenos Aires, was due $1.2 million.
Spanish clubs collectively earned $24.2 million, German clubs shared a little over $21 million and French clubs’ payout was $16.5 million.
Saudi Arabian clubs led the Asian list with $6.6 million and host nation Qatar’s clubs got $6.3 million. Clubs in the United States got $5.4 million, topped by $827,000 for the Seattle Sounders.
Morocco’s historic run as the first African team to reach the semifinals was achieved with many Europe-based players. Just two Moroccan clubs in Casablanca earned money from FIFA: $1.4 million to Wydad and $31,938 to Raja.
Just $20,075 went to a single club in Senegal, Génération Foot, for the 27 players in the national team squad that reached the round of 16 in Qatar. It included Sadio Mané, who withdrew injured before the first game.
FIFA payments from its World Cup revenues were agreed to as part of a settlement with an elite group of clubs that formed the European Club Association in 2008.
The fund total is negotiated when FIFA-ECA working agreements are renewed and will be $355 million for each men’s World Cup in 2026 and 2030.
The 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the first with 48 teams and an expected 1,104 players selected.
-AP
By Kunle Solaja.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has unveiled Google Gemini as the official Artificial Intelligence partner of Morocco’s national football team in a move aimed at boosting fan engagement and enhancing the digital presence of the Atlas Lions.
The partnership, announced ahead of a busy football calendar in May, June and July, will see the federation collaborate with Google Gemini to deploy advanced AI technologies in support of the Moroccan national team.
According to the federation, the strategic alliance is designed to strengthen communication channels with supporters, promote Moroccan football talent both locally and internationally, and showcase the country’s deep passion for the game to a global audience.
Powered by Google’s artificial intelligence technology, Google Gemini will work with the Moroccan federation on a range of digital and interactive initiatives tailored for football fans. The projects are expected to provide innovative experiences for supporters within Morocco and across the world, bringing fans closer to the Atlas Lions.
Among the features highlighted are the use of Gemini’s text-to-image technology, which allows fans to create personalised visuals in support of the national team, as well as the Lyria music-generation model that enables supporters to compose fan songs and recreate stadium atmospheres digitally.
The AI platform will also help fans better understand football by simplifying complex rules, analysing match performances and even predicting possible winners.
Speaking on the partnership, Najib Jarrar described the collaboration as an important step in connecting technology with sport.
“We are proud to support the Moroccan National Team, which honours Moroccan football with its global achievements during this important phase,” Jarrar said.
“Through Google Gemini, we seek to employ the power of AI to elevate the fan experience and celebrate the rich history of Moroccan football. This partnership is not just about technology; it also aims to strengthen the bonds between fans and the sport they love in deeper and more impactful ways.”
Morocco’s national team, popularly known as the Atlas Lions, gained global acclaim after becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
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Veteran Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has hinted that the upcoming FIFA World Cup could mark the final chapter of his illustrious international career after announcing that he has joined what he described as his “last training camp” with the national team.
The 40-year-old shot stopper is widely expected to be named in coach Javier Aguirre’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host alongside the United States and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
In an emotional message posted on social media on Monday, Ochoa reflected on his long journey with the Mexican national team.
“Putting this shirt on again was never routine … it was a privilege,” he wrote. “Today begins my last training camp. But this time I see it differently. With a fuller heart, more scars, more memories, and the same excitement as the child who once dreamed of defending this badge.”
If selected, Ochoa will join an exclusive group of players to feature in six FIFA World Cups, alongside football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The experienced goalkeeper previously represented Mexico at the Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups.
Ochoa, who currently plays for AEL Limassol in Cyprus, also recently suggested that the tournament could signal the end of his professional career.
Speaking to Mexican broadcaster TUDN last month, he admitted that the World Cup “could be the end for me after the World Cup” as he prepares for what is expected to be his final season in football.
“I’ve experienced unforgettable nights, endless matches, anthems that still give me goosebumps, and moments that changed my life forever,” Ochoa added in his social media post.
“And still, every time Mexico calls, something inside me begins again.”
Widely regarded as one of Mexico’s greatest goalkeepers, Ochoa has earned more than 150 international caps and produced several memorable World Cup performances during his career.
Among his standout moments were a remarkable display against Brazil at the 2014 World Cup and his penalty save from Poland captain Robert Lewandowski during the Qatar 2022 tournament.
Mexico will continue their preparations for the World Cup with friendly matches against Ghana on May 22, Australia on May 30 and Serbia on June 4 before opening their Group A campaign against South Africa on June 11.
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Mexico’s education authorities agreed on Monday to keep the 2025-2026 school calendar unchanged, reversing a proposed early end to the academic year that had drawn criticism from parents and raised questions about disruptions linked to the World Cup.
Related Story: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/05/09/mexico-president-wavers-on-plan-to-cut-school-year-by-40-days-for-the-world-cup/
The federal education ministry and state authorities unanimously agreed to preserve the existing 185-day school calendar, Education Minister Mario Delgado said, meaning the school year will still end on July 15 as originally scheduled.
Delgado said the agreement came in response to a call from President Claudia Sheinbaum, while also giving certainty to millions of Mexican families that organise their daily routines around the school calendar.
Authorities said states could still make local adjustments in extraordinary circumstances, including extreme heat or logistical challenges related to the World Cup.
Delgado had previously floated ending the school year on June 5 instead of July 15, citing high temperatures and the need to ease pressure in host cities during the tournament, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada.
-Reuters
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