News: K League teams receive US$ 3.79 million from FIFA Club Benefits Programme

K League clubs that sent players to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have received a combined total of US$ 3.79 million as part of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme.

A total of 10 K League clubs that had players either taking part in the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar or the qualification stage leading up to it were eligible for payouts and according to FIFA on Friday, all have received have now been paid the funds from the FIFA Club Benefits Programme.

The exact total of $3,379,121 is 14.31% of the funds paid to Asian Football Confederation countries.

The fee puts the Korea Football Association third among the AFC federations behind Saudi Arabia in first and Qatar in third with Japan and Australia making up the top five.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, with six players at the World Cup, received a total of just over $1 million which was the fifth-most among the AFC nations.

The boost in funds comes at a welcome time with the K League transfer window still open and teams still looking to conclude some deals before the July 20th deadline.

Breakdown

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors $1,091,393
Ulsan Hyundai $755,580
FC Seoul $566,685
Gimcheon Sangmu $356,801
Daegu FC $125,930
Daejeon Hana Citizen $125,930
Suwon FC $125,930
Pohang Steelers $83,953
Seongnam FC $83,953
Busan IPark $62,965

[READ: South Korea's Top K League Performers at 2022 World Cup]

What is FIFA's Club Benefits Programme?

FIFA says that the programme is a "commitment" that "recognises the contribution that football clubs make to the successful staging of the FIFA World Cup." 

In addition, FIFA official Ornella Desiree Bellia, who serves as the Director of Professional Football Relations and Development for the sport's governing body, states in the recently released 2022 report that it is a "landmark programme through which FIFA financially rewards these clubs and acknowledges the profound impact that they have in helping to make the FIFA World Cup the premier sports competition in the world."

A total of US$ 209 million was paid out to 440 clubs around which the players who took part in the World Cup were representing as well as the clubs that they were registered with during the final two years leading up to the tournament. 

This is how Seongnam FC, Busan IPark, and Suwon FC were able to receive funds as they had players involved in the final stages of qualifying.

The total paid to each club is calculated by the total number of days that their player spent at the World Cup and works out to around $10,950 per player per day and playing time is not taken into consideration.

Clubs had to register first as having a player at the tournament didn't automatically qualify them.

Sources: FIFA, Yonhap