Pirates and Sundowns in line for over R100 million World Cup payout

Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are poised to receive a substantial financial boost as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, thanks to their significant player contributions to the national team.

Both the domestic champions, Pirates, and the continental titleholders, Sundowns, have each supplied eight players to the final Bafana Bafana squad heading to the tournament. This impressive representation places the two Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs alongside Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly as the African teams with the most players at the global event.

The two clubs are set to benefit from the FIFA Club Benefits Programme, a fund totalling $355 million (approximately R5.8 billion), designed to compensate clubs for releasing players for national team duty.

According to FIFA’s regulations, the compensation period began on May 25, meaning the financial benefits are already accumulating. It is estimated that the programme will pay clubs around R200,000 per player for each day they are with their national team.

How much will Sundowns and Pirates earn?

With Bafana Bafana guaranteed to be at the World Cup until at least their final group stage match against South Korea on June 25, each player will generate a minimum of R6.4 million for their club. This translates to a staggering R51.2 million for both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, resulting in a combined total of over R102 million for the two clubs.

The FIFA programme also ensures that clubs where players were registered during the qualification phase are eligible for a share of the compensation, provided they are registered on the official FIFA digital platform.

A statement from the FIFA Club Benefits Programme explains the distribution method: “The compensation mechanism was designed to reward all clubs equally and transparently for the time that their registered players spend at the FIFA World Cup. The total amount allocated… is divided by the total number of days spent at the tournament by all the players involved. This equation produces a ‘per player, per day’ figure that can be used to calculate the benefits owed.”

Bafana Bafana also set for World Cup payout

The final Bafana Bafana 🇿🇦🔥 2026 FIFA World Cup squad is LOCKED IN! ⚽💛💚 From the safe hands in goal to the clinical forwards, these are the players who will represent South Africa on the global stage.

​#BafanaPride@adidasfootball @adidasza @rexona_sa @standardbankza… pic.twitter.com/d9B9NPIpqF

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) May 27, 2026

The programme further clarifies that the daily amount is multiplied by the number of days a player is at the tournament, from their official release date until their team’s final match.

“Therefore, the further a national team progresses at the tournament, the more that team’s players will earn for their respective clubs,” the document states. “All players within a national-team squad are allocated an equal benefit amount, irrespective of their playing time at the competition.”

In addition to the club benefits, the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, has already secured $2.5 million (approx. R41 million) for preparations and an additional $10 million (approx. R164 million) from FIFA for qualifying for the tournament.