Allan Okello and Vipers President Dr Lawrence Mulindwa
David GOMBE
Eight Uganda Premier League sides are set to benefit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup Club Benefits Programme, with FIFA paying clubs for qualifiers for the first time, not just the final tournament.
Uganda Premier League sides such as SC Villa, Vipers SC, KCCA FC, BUL FC, NEC FC, Express FC, Kitara FC and MYDA FC had their players feature for the Uganda Cranes in the 10 World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 showpiece between November 2023 and October 2025.
According to FIFA, the anticipated benefit stands at approximately USD 2,362 per player, per match.
A total of 230 players featured in Uganda’s 10 World Cup Qualifier matches, with 77 domestic squad inclusions. Those inclusions came from 29 different UPL players who were registered with UPL clubs when selected for the Cranes.
UPL clubs are set to share Shs673m from the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
However, the payment is to be made to each club with which the player was registered at the date of the match, as per FIFA Circulars No. 1965 (5 June 2026) and No. 1972 (9 September 2026) on the Club Benefits Programme.
To qualify, a player must have been in the starting XI or among the substitutes for the match, and registered with the club on that date.
Meanwhile, FUFA has offered a second chance to clubs that missed the registration deadline for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Club Benefits Programme. The process is now at the FIFA Member Association Review stage at FUFA level, which closes on 13th November 2026.