ZURICH — FIFA announced on Wednesday that it has distributed $125 million to soccer clubs around the world as part of payments owed for transfers involving former players. This funding was facilitated through FIFA’s financial office based in Paris, but an additional backlog of nearly $200 million remains outstanding. Furthermore, there is an agreement in place for another $31.7 million, which has yet to be disbursed.
The FIFA Clearing House is overseeing the distribution of these payments, which will benefit over 5,000 both grassroots and professional clubs. This initiative stems from two years of effort aimed at enhancing transparency within the often opaque, multi-billion dollar soccer transfer market. The goal is also to ensure that smaller clubs receive their rightful payments from the future sales of players they have trained.
The case of Moisés Caicedo serves as a notable example; when he transferred from Brighton to Chelsea for a record British fee, his former clubs in Ecuador were eligible to receive a substantial share of the transfer amount, which was approximately £115 million (or $145 million). Lenín Bolaños, the president of CD Espoli, expressed that the funds received from FIFA were like a dream, allowing his club to develop a practice field, a medical clinic, and a gym.
Recent developments also include a review of some FIFA transfer market regulations that have been in effect since 2001. This examination was initiated following a European court decision involving former French midfielder Lassana Diarra’s case. Under the current FIFA framework, clubs that trained players between the ages of 12 to 21 can claim up to 5% of the player’s future transfer fee.
Historically, many clubs have struggled to keep track of player transfers or lacked the necessary expertise and resources to file claims. The new online system, managed by FIFA’s finance office, now alerts purchasing clubs of approved payments, which must be settled within 30 days.
England and Saudi Arabia, being the richest markets for player purchases, have contributed significantly to the so-called “training rewards,” with payments of $50.1 million and $18.7 million respectively over the past two years. The Netherlands, France, and Argentina rank as the top beneficiaries of these payments, receiving $8.7 million, $7.8 million, and $7.1 million, respectively.
FIFA’s report indicated that one reason for the existing backlog in payments is non-compliance from certain clubs. Currently, at least 1,600 clubs from over 100 countries have received accreditation. FIFA’s chief legal officer, Emilio García, acknowledged in the 52-page report that there are still significant challenges and areas requiring improvement.