Sundowns, Pirates Set For Millions From FIFA World Cup As Chiefs Face Missing Out
With Bafana Bafana having qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are set to receive millions from FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme, thanks to their expected large player representation at next year’s tournament. Kaizer Chiefs, however, could miss out.
In the previous World Cup, FIFA paid clubs a participation fee for every player they released and for each day the player spent at the tournament. For the group stage alone, £177.8 million was distributed among 400 clubs worldwide.
Sundowns and Pirates dominated the Bafana Bafana line-up that sealed World Cup qualification with a 3–0 victory over Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday. The win ensured South Africa’s place in the tournament, which the USA, Canada, and Mexico will co-host.
Chiefs, the country’s most supported club, had only one representative — Mdu Shabalala — who was called up as a late replacement for Pirates attacker Relebohile Mofokeng, ruled out through injury.
Fittingly, all three goals in the match were scored by Pirates players: Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, and Evidence Makgopa, as Bafana booked their first World Cup appearance since 2002 in South Korea and Japan.
In Tuesday’s starting line-up, Pirates were represented by Mbatha, Appollis, Makgopa, Nkosinathi Sibisi, and Sipho Mbule.
Sundowns, meanwhile, had captain Ronwen Williams in goal, alongside Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, and Thapelo Morena.
The only player outside the two Soweto giants was TS Galaxy’s Khulumane Ndamane, who replaced the suspended Pirates defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
On the bench, Pirates had Sipho Chaine and Tshepang Moremi, while Sundowns were represented by Malibongwe Khoza and Bathusi Aubaas.
Their representation could increase further when Broos names his World Cup final squad. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, national teams were allowed to register up to 26 players, including three goalkeepers, from an initial provisional list of between 35 and 55 players submitted to FIFA a month before the tournament.
The same 26-player limit will apply to the 2026 World Cup, giving veterans like Themba Zwane a strong chance to feature — provided he overcomes his injury concerns for Sundowns.
At the 2022 World Cup, Manchester City earned the highest payout of £3.65 million, followed closely by FC Barcelona with £3.55 million and Bayern Munich with £3.52 million. Manchester United and Chelsea rounded out the top five, receiving £3.17 million and £3.07 million respectively.
FIFA paid the equivalent of £8,400 (US$10,000) per day for each participating player. In total, Premier League clubs collectively earned £34.83 million — the highest of any league. The German Bundesliga came second with £18.78 million, while Spain’s La Liga received £18.05 million.
With Bafana Bafana returning to the global stage, the Premier Soccer League could find itself among the world’s top 10 to 20 leagues benefiting from FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme.
