UEFA to distribute €31.5m to clubs for releasing players for the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League

UEFA will distribute this week, approximately €31.5m to clubs that released players for the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, marking the first payment under the current UEFA Club Benefits Programme cycle, as foreseen by the UEFA/EFC Memorandum of Understanding.

The payments form part of the €104m allocated to clubs releasing players for the 2024/25 and 2026/27 UEFA Nations League and the qualifying competition for UEFA EURO 2028. The programme’s distribution mechanism remains unchanged from the previous edition. Under the programme, clubs receive compensation on a per-player/per-match basis, with a rate of €3,845 for each eligible player appearance on a national team match sheet for Nations League and European Qualifiers’ fixtures. For EURO 2028, it will be a per-player/per-day compensation.

The programme benefits 611 clubs across all UEFA’s member associations, including several amateur clubs. RB Leipzig of Germany will receive the highest total compensation in this payment, with approximately €353,000 for releasing 16 of its players.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: “The Club Support Programme acknowledges the essential contribution that clubs add to the success of national team football. Through this Programme, we distribute a share of UEFA EURO and UEFA Nations League revenue to clubs across Europe, professional and amateur alike, in recognition of their role in developing players and releasing them for national team duty. When football thrives, everybody benefits.”

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of European Football Clubs (EFC) said: “The Club Benefits Programme is a very important part of the UEFA-EFC strategic partnership. Its scale and impact are clear, with more than 600 clubs of all sizes benefiting from this first payment. It recognises the essential contribution clubs make to the international game, by developing players and making them available for their national teams. We are very pleased to continue strengthening this vital link between club and national team football.”

The current club benefits cycle, linked to UEFA EURO 2028, provides for a total distribution of €244m, including €4m left over from the UEFA EURO 2024 programme. Of this amount, €104m is allocated to clubs releasing players for the UEFA Nations League in 2024/25 and 2026/27 and the qualifying competition of the UEFA EURO 2028 (European Qualifiers 2027-28), with a further €140m reserved for clubs releasing players for the final tournament.

Further payments under the programme will be made in stages as the relevant competitions are completed.