Sunderland set for seven-figure World Cup windfall from FIFA payments | OneFootball

Sunderland are in line for a seven-figure windfall this summer as a club-record 12 players head to the FIFA World Cup. According to Sunderland Echo, the Black Cats will receive a share of FIFA’s expanded Club Benefit Programme.

FIFA will distribute about €350 million, including €100 million for qualifying, with clubs estimated to earn €2,362 per qualifier per player, meaning regulars like Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka and Omar Alderete have banked Sunderland roughly €20,000.

A further €250 million is allocated for the finals, so Sunderland’s strong representation should add more, albeit likely slightly down on Qatar 2022 because of the expanded 48-entrant group stage.

Their contingent includes Xhaka for Switzerland, Alderete for Paraguay, Habib Diarra for Senegal, Nilson Angulo for Ecuador, plus Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku for DR Congo, with Wilson Isidor representing Haiti.

Robin Roefs, Brian Brobbey and Lutsharel Geertruida are with the Netherlands, Brobbey coming on late in the 2-2 draw with Japan.

FIFA estimates €5,000 per player per day at the group stage and during preparation, so a minimum three-week stay is around €105,000 each and about £940,000 in total.

That figure will almost certainly rise above £1,000,000 once qualification payments and any extended runs are included. Paraguay lost heavily to the USA and Haiti were edged by Scotland, while Diarra’s Senegal face France on Tuesday and DR Congo meet Portugal on Wednesday.

Source: Sunderland Echo