PSL clubs face final deadline to secure FIFA World Cup payments

South African clubs have until Friday, 2 October to complete the registration and validation process required to receive their share of FIFA’s 2026 World Cup Club Benefits Programme.

FIFA extended the deadline from 10 September, with the online process covering payments made through the South African Football Association (SAFA) before the end of 2026 and subject to applicable tax.

Most Betway Premiership clubs are understood to have completed the process, leaving those still outstanding with fewer than 60 hours to act.

Once the club deadline passes, member associations will review the submissions between 5 October and 13 November 2026. FIFA’s administration will then conduct a final assessment before funds are sent to the associations for distribution to eligible clubs before the end of the year.

A total of 15 Betway Premiership clubs, along with several teams from the Motsepe Foundation Championship, qualify for a share of approximately R5.7 billion.

Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are expected to be the biggest domestic beneficiaries after each had eight players involved at the tournament. Both clubs will also receive additional payments linked to the qualifiers, with their gross earnings estimated at approximately R50 million each.

Kaizer Chiefs, Sekhukhune United, Polokwane City, AmaZulu, Stellenbosch, Golden Arrows, TS Galaxy, Richards Bay, Durban City, Chippa United, Kruger United, Siwelele and Marumo Gallants will also benefit because they had players involved in the tournament or qualifying matches.

Kruger United’s Marcel Dandjinou represented Benin in the qualifiers while registered with the club. Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali played for Nigeria, while Washington Arubi represented Zimbabwe during his time with Marumo Gallants.

Joslin Kamatuka was involved with Namibia while registered with Durban City, and Richards Bay’s Salim Magoola played for Uganda.

Polokwane City had several players involved: Brian Bwire with Kenya, Manuel Kambala with Mozambique, Manuel Sapunga with Equatorial Guinea, Douglas Mapfumo with Zimbabwe and Ndamulelo Maphangule with South Africa.

Milford are the only club excluded from the payments because they had no players involved in either the qualifiers or the tournament itself.

All qualifying matches, which began in September 2023, will be taken into account. Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will receive most of their money from their players’ involvement at the finals, while Kaizer Chiefs, Siwelele and Polokwane City will receive a share after each supplied one player.

FIFA has set aside USD250 million, approximately R4 billion, for distribution on a ‘per player, per day’ basis for the tournament staged in USA, Canada and Mexico. The minimum allocation is estimated at USD5,000, or R82,000, per player per day.

Under the FIFA Club Protection Programme, clubs will also receive USD2,362 per player for every qualifying match in which the player was included in a 23-man matchday squad.

That fund totals USD100 million, approximately R1.6 billion, based on: “USD 100 million – 905 matches x 2 teams x 23 players + (10 friendly matches x 3 host countries x 23 players) = USD 2,362 per player, per match.”