Leeds United are a club with a number of international stars in their ranks, and it is a World Cup year in the 2025/26 season as well.
Leeds United had 10 players on international duty recently, with the Whites represented globally. That did not include all of the possible players, either, with a number remaining in West Yorkshire to prepare for Premier League games.
Four of Daniel Farke’s Leeds squad were with Wales: Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Charlie Crew, and Dan James. Ilia Gruev, Jaka Bijol, and Gabriel Gudmundsson were with Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Sweden respectively.
Rory Mahady is with Scotland U-21s, Isaac Schmidt of Switzerland has also headed out, and Jayden Lienou is with Wales’ U-21 team. However, so many others connected with Leeds have international caps.
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Leeds are part of FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme for share of £260 million
The hard work is only just beginning, and the fight for survival has got even tougher after Leeds‘ tough start away from home. Players heading out on international duty disrupts the team further, too.
In terms of senior players with previous caps or call-ups, Lucas Perri, Ethan Ampadu, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Lukas Nmecha, Anton Stach, Noah Okafor, Ao Tanaka, Sebastian Bornauw, James Justin, and Willy Gnonto are among them.
Max Wober is out on loan but is another contracted player who could be called-up for next summer’s tournament. The likes of Largie Ramazani, Joel Piroe, and Pascal Struijk have never received senior recognition but will hope to this season.
It’s a sign of promotion to have so many former, future, or current internationals. Leeds could have a number of players at next summer’s World Cup, and they stand to benefit from that if it becomes the case.
FIFA announced today that, for the first time, a programme will directly reward all clubs releasing players for the World Cup 2026 qualifiers. It’s an unprecedented total of $355 million (£260 million) set aside for the benefit of club football.
That is an increase of nearly 70% compared to the previous edition via the now ‘FIFA Club Benefits Programme’. It is part of the renewed memorandum of understanding signed by FIFA and the European Club Association.
Leeds will benefit from this now and long-term heading to the World Cup next summer, providing they have a number of players at the event. However, it’s not abundantly clear how the cost is split for their share of the £260 million.
How the World Cup finances are split between clubs as explained by Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol
Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol said: “FIFA are going to give 70% to all clubs who release players for World Cup Qualifiers and also for the World Cup Finals in USA, Canada, and Mexico next summer.
“They’ve just announced their new Club Benefits Programme, it will mean that a total of £260 million will be shared between all these clubs.”
That is likely to mean £260 million between any club with representation. Even if Leeds have 10+ players heading to North America next summer, it is unlikely to mean a huge share of the pie.
However, it does entice clubs to sign internationals, even with the risks regarding injuries while on duty with their country.
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