A record sum of 355 million USD from this year’s World Cup revenues will be paid to national football associations under the FIFA Club Payments program.
This program compensates clubs for releasing their footballers to represent national teams at the World Cup.
Although the Russian national team remains suspended by FIFA and did not participate in this year’s World Cup, some players representing other national teams play for Russian clubs. Therefore, they may be eligible for compensation.
Among such clubs is Moscow’s Spartak, owned by Russia’s second largest oil company, Lukoil.
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Revenues from oil and gas exports are extremely important to Moscow, which seeks to continue the war in Ukraine. For this reason, many oil and gas companies, including Lukoil, are subject to international sanctions.
Although funds from this year’s World Cup revenues have not yet been paid out, investigative journalism platform Follow the Money reports that FIFA may face criminal prosecution for payments made after the 2022 tournament.
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