Sheffield United set for Tahith Chong windfall as juicy slice of £300m pie laid out following FIFA decision

Sheffield United are in line for a handy cash boost this summer from a near-£300m pot of gold set up for the 2026 World Cup. This year’s tournament, which will be played across the United States, Mexico and Canada, is the first in history to feature 48 clubs.

That has helped a number of smaller nations qualify for the tournament, with Curaçao preparing for their first-ever World Cup campaign. Barring any unseen issues, United man Tahith Chong is expected to be named in their final squad.

As we reported earlier this week, a good performance or two on a global scale could put him in the shop window amid his uncertain future at Bramall Lane, after an underwhelming debut season. But it will also land United something of a return on their multi-million-pound investment in Chong last summer.

For the 2026 and 2030 editions of the World Cup, FIFA set aside a $355million fund to compensate teams that released players to play in the tournament. The exact amount per player has not been officially confirmed but has been reported as $11,000 per day.

That could land United around $250,000 even if Curaçao bow out at the group stage, and the number will only rise if they make it deeper into the tournament. United could have multiplied that figure a few times more, too, had Wales booked their place in the summer tournament.

That could have led to a further windfall for Adam Davies and Rhys Norrington-Davies - although, for the first time ahead of this edition of the tournament, the compensation fund was extended to players who were called up by their countries in qualifying.

So the Blades will also be due a chunk of cash from Davies’ involvement with Wales. It is currently unclear whether a loan player’s parent club receives the compensation for a player placed elsewhere, as was the case with the likes of Tyler Bindon and Chieo Ogbene.

Curaçao, who confirmed the return of Dick Advocaat this week with the 78-year-old set to become the oldest coach in World Cup history, were drawn alongside Germany, Ecuador and the Ivory Coast after successfully qualifying.