FIFA owes football clubs worldwide nearly £200 million.

The irritation of clubs around the world grows because FIFA still hasn't disbursed the £185 million pledged after last summer's Club World Cup.

Many clubs across the globe are expressing their dissatisfaction as FIFA has not yet distributed the sum of £185 million from the solidarity payments fund as promised after the 2025 Club World Cup, according to The Guardian. More than seven months have passed since the tournament ended, yet non-participating clubs have not received any funds, and there is no clear timeline for distribution.

This money is intended to spread a portion of the Club World Cup revenue throughout the football system, rather than concentrating it solely on the participating teams. If divided evenly, it is estimated that each top-tier club worldwide would receive about £50,000. Though this amount is modest for the “big spenders,” it could be a crucial financial boost for clubs in smaller leagues where broadcast rights are unstable and operating budgets are tight.

Meanwhile, the prize fund of £740 million allocated for participating teams is reportedly already paid out, with Chelsea – the champions – possibly receiving around £84 million. This disparity is causing more impatience among other clubs, even though there is no sign FIFA will renege on the support.

A representative from a minor European league told The Guardian that they have repeatedly inquired but received no clear answers. In Europe, there is a growing sense that FIFA is delaying finalizing the payment formula, with reports that some meetings on this topic have been postponed.

According to The Guardian, the main obstacle is the lack of a unified mechanism to allocate the £185 million among the six continental federations, as participation levels in the Club World Cup vary greatly between regions. In reality, clubs are unlikely to receive equal amounts.

Additionally, many federations do not yet have a system in place for this type of distribution. UEFA has experience in distributing support funds to clubs that did not qualify for the main rounds of European competitions and might apply a similar approach once the final amount is decided.

A source from the Union of European Clubs (UEC) – representing over 140 clubs outside the elite group – stated that their members have not received any information regarding the timing of payments.

FIFA stated that they are still in regular discussions with federations and clubs to finalize the allocation method, aiming for “all stakeholders” to benefit from the tournament.