How much money have Celtic made from the World Cup?
If you asked 100 people to name ways that football clubs can make money, not many would answer 'having players at the World Cup'. However, with all 4 of Celtic's World Cup stars securing qualification to the Last 16, the tournament is becoming a nice little earner for the club.
How do clubs make money from the World Cup?
Fifa's Club Benefits Programme rewards clubs with payments made per day for each player they have at the tournament. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Fifa's Club Benefits Programme paid out more than £156m to club's across the globe.
For the 2022 tournament, FIFA have increased the daily payments to around $10,000 (£8,200) per player. The programme takes in the official preparation period, as well as 11 days of the tournament so far - and with all of Celtic's players still participating - the club are making a healthy sum. Carter-Vickers, Mooy, Maeda & Juranovic will all be in the competition until at least Saturday.
The Numbers
Okay, so this is the complicated bit. The pot changes as the tournament progresses and exchange rates vary! This gives each player at least 21 days of 'participation'. If my maths is correct this means each player has made the club around $210,000 for their involvement so far. The current total of around $840,000 (£688,000) could continue to grow if Japan, Croatia, USA or Australia manage to progress to the quarter-finals. With each passing round the pot increases in size meaning this total could get even better for the club.
Last 16 Fixtures for Celtic's Players
Japan's 2-1 victory over Spain has set up a clash with Croatia, where Daizen Maeda will face up against Josip Juranovic. Meanwhile, Cameron Carter-Vicker's USA face the Netherlands on Saturday before Aaron Mooy & Australia take on Argentina. Lots to play for the Bhoys and added financial incentive for the club with each day that passes.
Saturday 3rd December
Netherlands v USA - 15:00
Argentina v Australia - 19:00
Monday 5th December
Japan v Croatia - 15:00