La Liga club set to profit from Barcelona star's World Cup run
Espanyol are set to receive a six-figure payout from FIFA's Club Benefits Programme because Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia is at the 2026 World Cup with Spain—even after leaving their Catalan rivals last summer. His presence in Luis de la Fuente's squad triggers daily compensation split three ways, with Espanyol entitled to roughly one-third.
Key Takeaways
- Joan Garcia joined Barcelona from Espanyol last summer and made Spain's 2026 World Cup squad.
- FIFA's Club Benefits Programme pays clubs daily while their players are at the tournament.
- Payments are split in thirds among Barcelona, Espanyol, and the club he was registered with at the start of 2025-26.
- Espanyol could receive at least about €106,200 if Spain stay through the round of 32, rising to roughly €160,880 if Spain reach the final.
- Barcelona view the real upside as sporting: Garcia is gaining international experience under Luis de la Fuente.
Why is Espanyol profiting from a Barcelona player's World Cup run?
Last summer's transfer saga saw Barcelona sign Joan Garcia from bitter La Liga rivals Espanyol after triggering his release clause. Cross-city moves between the Catalan clubs are rare, but Garcia took that leap and became one of Barça's most important players in less than a season.
He earned his first Spain call-up in March and made the squad for the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to AS, cited by Yahoo Sports, FIFA's programme will compensate every club connected to Garcia because he is part of Spain's squad.
Barcelona receive money as his current club. Espanyol are also entitled to a share because he played there during the previous season. For more on how football finance meets celebrity sport, see our Celebrity Breaking News coverage.
How does FIFA divide World Cup club payments?
The Club Benefits Programme is designed to compensate clubs who release players for the World Cup. In Garcia's case, the distribution splits into three equal parts.
One third goes to the club where the player is registered during the tournament—Barcelona. Another third goes to the club where he was registered at the start of the 2025-26 season. The final third goes to the club where he played in the previous campaign, which is Espanyol.
FIFA assigns a daily payment from the moment the player is released to join his national team until his team is eliminated. The longer Spain advance, the larger the total payout grows for each entitled club.
How much could Espanyol earn from Spain's run?
Because Spain have already reached the round of 32, Espanyol are expected to receive at least around €106,200 from Garcia's World Cup involvement. If Spain reach the final, that figure could rise to around €160,880.
It may sound strange that Espanyol profit after Garcia left for Barcelona, but FIFA's rules reward developmental clubs regardless of where a player moves next. The payment reflects his time at Espanyol, not the rivalry between the two sides.
What does this mean for Barcelona?
For Barcelona, the story is less about the cash and more about validation. Signing Garcia from Espanyol was a decisive move, and he settled quickly enough to earn recognition from Luis de la Fuente with Spain.
There will naturally be attention on Espanyol receiving money from his World Cup run, especially given how the transfer unfolded. Barça are not expected to dwell on it.
The real benefit from this for Barcelona is sporting. They have secured a goalkeeper entering a major phase of his career, one who is already gaining international status and big-tournament experience. If Spain keep advancing, the FIFA payments will rise—but even if Garcia does not play a game, his reputation will keep rising too.