UEFA Club Benefits Programme distributes record $413.7m AUD

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901 European clubs have received a record combined $413.7m AUD from the UEFA EURO 2024 Club Benefits Programme.

Clubs from each of the 55 member associations were supported, ranging from the highest tiers of play to amateur football.

Designed to support clubs who had released players to their national teams across the 2020/2024 cycle of European competitions, the Club Benefits Programme aided clubs through events such as the 2020/21 and 2022/23 UEFA Nations League, European Qualifiers 2022–24 and the UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament.

The mechanisms for the distribution of payments were devised by the UEFA Executive Committee in April 2022. In accordance with these mechanisms, $177m was reserved for the 2020/21 and 2022/23 UEFA Nations League as well as the European Qualifiers to UEFA EURO 2024.

Across these periods, $163m was distributed, a significant increase upon the previous cycle’s $124m distribution. The remaining $14m was saved for the next distribution cycle.

Furthermore, the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament itself saw an increase in the amount of money distributed for the release of players – growing from $230.8m to $248.6m, supporting 196 clubs from 29 UEFA national associations.

Additionally, the overall $413.7m supplied to European clubs is a major increase on the $355m distributed in the previous cycle.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin expressed the organisation’s joy for the success of the programme.

“It is fantastic to see clubs of all sizes and levels, across the entire football pyramid, receiving financial rewards for their vital role in developing players who contribute to the success of our national team competitions – including the highly successful UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament,” he said in a press release.

“Every success of our competitions is a shared one, and this benefits programme is another testament to that principle, recognising the dedication of those who work tirelessly to make European football the greatest sport in the world. When football thrives, everyone benefits.”

Chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), Nasser Al-Khelaïfi highlighted the importance of the ECA’s and UEFA’s combined efforts in creating the Club Benefits Programme.

“I am very pleased see that more than 900 clubs from all corners of Europe have benefited from this unprecedented distribution under the Club Benefits Programme, which is a key pillar of UEFA and ECA’s Memorandum of Understanding,” he said in a statement.

“This initiative recognises that clubs play a vital role in the ongoing success of national team football through developing, employing and releasing players; and also that the national team game in-turn drives the development of clubs and their communities.

“This harmonious relationship perfectly reflects the great collaboration between UEFA and ECA today, driving growth, innovation and the positive development of European football in the interests of all.”

To learn which clubs benefited from the programme, and the amount they received – see this list.

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WA Government and Virgin Australia Partner to Bring Discounted Flights for Italian Football Series in Perth

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The Western Australian Government has partnered with Virgin Australia to offer discounted airfares to Perth ahead of a three-match series featuring AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and Palermo, in a move that reflects how state governments are increasingly using major sporting fixtures as tools of tourism and economic strategy.

Subsidising travel costs rather than simply promoting the matches signals a shift in how state governments are approaching major sporting events. WA Tourism Minister Reece Whitby positioned the series within the state’s broader Winter of Unmissable Sport strategy, framing the partnership as a way to fill hotels, support local businesses and generate visible economic activity across a single week of programming. That logic places football alongside other major events states have used to justify public investment in visitor attraction, where the return is measured in tourism spend rather than ticket revenue alone.

A bet on Australia’s appetite for European football

Touring Italian clubs is not a routine occurrence in Australia, and Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti’s comments point to an underlying assumption behind the investment: that the existing fan base for European football in Australia is substantial enough to justify a state government underwriting travel costs to fill a stadium on the other side of the country.

Australian audiences for international football have grown considerably over the past decade, driven by streaming access, diaspora communities and the rising visibility of leagues once difficult to follow locally. State governments positioning themselves to capture economic value from that growth, rather than leaving it to broadcasters and travel operators, marks a change in how football’s commercial footprint in Australia is being treated by policymakers.

It also raises a question likely to recur as more international club fixtures are scheduled in Australian cities: whether public subsidy for travel around marquee football events delivers economic value beyond the host city, or whether the benefit is concentrated narrowly within the host state’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Virgin Australia’s involvement reflects the commercial logic on the airline side, with the partnership forming part of a broader push to connect Australians with major domestic and international destinations.

For the domestic football industry, the series is a reminder that international club football is competing for the same audience attention as the A-Leagues and grassroots competitions. Whether that competition proves complementary or extractive, in terms of where football-related spending in Australia ultimately lands, is a question state and national football bodies are likely to watch closely as similar fixtures become more frequent.

Referee Omar Artan appointed to UEFA Super Cup Final

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The Somali referee will officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup in August between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.

 

World Cup controversy to Super Cup support

As 2025’s CAF Men’s Referee of the Year, Artan stands as one of the world’s leading match officials.

His expertise and skill allowed him to enter FIFA’s international list in 2018, and has since proved an outstanding ability as a referee, culminating in the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year award last year.

Despite Artan’s capabilities and reputation, his dream of officiating this summer’s World Cup tournament met a premature ending. The referee couldn’t enter into the US after arriving on a diplomatic passport and single entry visa, and was subsequently forced to return home to Somalia.

But Artan’s journey as a referee on the global stage is far from over, as UEFA and CAF confirmed that Artan will officiate the UEFA Super Cup clash between Champions League winners, PSG, and Europa League winners, Aston Villa, in Salzburg this August.

 

Upholding the partnership

In April of this year, UEFA and CAF signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which promised to utilise mutual support to encourage development, inclusion and wellbeing in football.

The MoU aligns unity, cohesion and partnership between two powerhouse continents of world football.

And now, the alignment is stronger and clearer than ever. In the midst of a major blow to Artan’s personal and professional dreams, UEFA and CAF’s partnership provided an opportunity.

“Omar is an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football,” said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin via media release.

“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination.”

Furthermore, CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, outlined why the initiative perfectly embodies the nature of a partnership between UEFA and CAF.

“This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide.”

 

Final thoughts

Out of bitter disappointment and controversy comes a far more positive reflection of football’s influence and impact. It also proves that an MoU is more than just signatures, but a genuine promise to support the game and all within it.

A partnership like this has the power to help millions at once.

But sometimes, helping just one person is all it takes to prove its worth.

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