FIFA is preparing to pay compensation to clubs that release players for national team duty, covering from the qualifiers through to the final tournament of the 2026 World Cup. Port FC will receive substantial funds because Rabin Sulaka has led Iraq to qualify for the World Cup.
On 2 Apr 2026 GMT+7, after Iraq secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the playoff, they made history by reaching the World Cup finals for the second time, the first being in 1986 in Mexico.
One of the Iraqi national team players who helped the team reach the World Cup finals is Rabin Sulaka, a defender from Port FC in the 2025-26 Thai League. He is highly likely to be selected for this World Cup, which would make him the first Thai League player to participate in the World Cup while actively playing in the league.
FIFA has a policy of paying clubs that release players for the World Cup final tournament, continuing this practice for 2026. This policy has been in place since 2010, with compensation amounts gradually increasing.
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA is set to pay a record $355 million, approximately 11,968,200,000 baht. This figure is nearly 70% higher than the $209 million paid after the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
This is based on the latest payment policy information.
Compensation is calculated at a daily rate of $10,950 (350,000 baht) per player, covering the period the player is with the national team, including preparation, competition, and one day after the final match. FIFA divides the payment into three equal parts.
1. To the current club.
2. To the club the player played for in the season before the World Cup.
3. To the club the player played for two seasons before the World Cup.
If Rabin Sulaka is on Iraq's squad from the FIFA match day starting 1 June through the last group match against Senegal on 26 June, and if Iraq is eliminated after the group stage, he would receive compensation for 27 days. Multiplying 27 by $10,950 equals $295,650, roughly 9,450,000 baht.
Sulaka has been with "Singha Chao Tha" (Port FC) for one season, so the club would receive about 3,150,000 baht.
This does not include Fran Putros, who played for Port FC between 2022 and 2025. Covering two seasons before the World Cup, if he makes Iraq's national team, the club would receive about 6,300,000 baht more. Combined, the total could reach approximately 9,450,000 baht.
At the 2022 World Cup, the club receiving the highest payment was Manchester City, with nearly $4.6 million, about 165,600,000 baht. English clubs collectively received $37.7 million (approximately 1,357,200,000 baht), and European clubs overall received 76% of the total payments.