Two Bulgarian clubs, "Montana" and "Ludogorets," are set to receive financial compensation from FIFA due to their players' participation in the historic 48-team World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. For years, the world governing body has offered financial compensation to clubs whose players are selected for the World Cup.

The goalkeeper of the relegated "Montana," Marcius da Rosa, has been called up to represent Cape Verde. Da Rosa played in 18 matches this season for "Montana," but was not on the field in half of them.

The African selectors will also rely on another representative from what is known as the Bulgarian elite. This refers to Dery Duaarte, a midfielder for "Ludogorets." Duaarte is one of the key players in the midfield for "Ludogorets" this season and performed well in the Europa League campaign.

Clubs will receive over €9,000 per day for each called-up player. This amount will be paid for the entire period during which the player is engaged with their national team, from the start of the preparation phase until the end of the tournament. For the African players from the Bulgarian elite, this is likely to be after the group stage, as Cape Verde is unlikely to progress further against strong opponents like Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

It's important to note that all clubs receiving the so-called financial compensation for the World Cup must register in a special FIFA register. For the first time, FIFA will also pay compensation to teams that contributed players during the qualification phase, which started nearly two years ago. It is expected that a record €355 million will be distributed. For comparison, in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, over 400 teams participated in the compensation program, and this number is expected to grow significantly due to the increased number of participants and matches.