UEFA to distribute £205m to clubs for Nations League and Euro 2028 players
September 30, 2026 16:31
WHAT HAPPENED
UEFA’s £205m package is split with £120m reserved for clubs with players released for the Euro 2028 finals and £89m set aside for clubs whose players took part in the Nations League or Euro 2028 qualifiers. The programme pays on a per-player, per-match basis for the Nations League and Euro qualifiers and switches to per-player, per-day payments for the Euro finals.
KEY DETAILS
- The flat rate for each player named in a squad list for a Nations League or Euro 2028 qualifying match is £3,285, a 5% increase on the 2020–24 cycle for equivalent games.
- UEFA says 611 clubs will benefit in the current cycle; that number is expected to rise to more than 900 once the full Euro 2028 tournament is counted, as happened in 2024.
- RB Leipzig is listed by UEFA as the biggest recipient from the 2024-25 Nations League payments, receiving £302,000 after releasing 16 players.
- Payments are made only when a player is named on a team sheet; clubs may also have players away on duty in competitions outside the Nations League (which may follow different compensation arrangements) and at under-21 level.
WOMEN’S COMPENSATION
UEFA introduced an equivalent scheme for the women’s game in 2022 ahead of the 2025 Women’s Euros. More than £3.7m was allocated to 221 clubs that released players for that tournament, with UEFA encouraging clubs to use the funds to develop women’s football.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The £27m payment for the 2024-25 Nations League is scheduled to be released this week and is the first instalment under the current Club Benefits Programme cycle.