Benfica still set to receive money for Nicolás Otamendi, here's why | OneFootball

Despite already having been officially announced as a River Plate signing, Nicolás Otamendi will still provide one final financial boost to Benfica before definitively returning to Argentine football. The centre-back remains under contract with the Eagles until the end of June, which will allow the Club from Luz to benefit from the defender’s participation in the 2026 World Cup.

According to reports from Argentina, Benfica will be the only club to receive compensation related to Otamendi’s presence in the FIFA-organised competition. This is because the experienced centre-back remains contractually tied to the Eagles throughout the entire month of June, even though he has already signed a contract with the Buenos Aires club.

The mechanism in question is part of FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme, created to compensate clubs that release players to their respective national teams. The amount awarded covers not only the days of the official competition, but also the entire preparation period for the tournament.

All things considered, Benfica could collect around €230,000 thanks to the player’s participation in the tournament. However, this amount will be limited to the period during which the player remains contractually linked to the Eagles, ending at the close of June, regardless of how far Argentina go in the competition.

Signed from Manchester City in 2020, the player brought a notable spell at Luz to a close. Over the course of six seasons, he made 281 appearances, scored 18 goals, provided eight assists and helped Benfica win one league title, one League Cup and two Super Cups.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.