FIFA to increase World Cup prize money by 50%

FIFA announced after a meeting in Doha, Qatar, that the World Cup 2026 will have a total of $727 million distributed among member nations, with $655 million allocated as prize money. This means the tournament will have the largest prize pool ever, marking a 50% increase compared to the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

From the $655 million prize fund, the champions will receive $50 million, while the runners-up will earn $33 million. The third-placed team will take $29 million, and fourth place will receive $27 million. Each nation finishing between 33rd and 48th place will earn $9 million, plus an additional $1.5 million as a “preparation cost”, bringing their total earnings to $10.5 million for participating in the World Cup.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community. In recent years, FIFA has stepped up its efforts to boost youth football, the results of which are plain for all to see.

“We have been very active in promoting youth competitions and development, and this is a natural next step, and a very joyous one. Having FIFA U-15 festivals for boys and girls will be fundamental in FIFA’s quest to give every talent a chance all over the world.”

Revenue from the World Cup 2026 is also expected to increase to over $10 billion. Three years ago, the World Cup in Qatar generated $6.3 billion, despite being played in winter. With the tournament hosted across the Americas and ticket prices rising, World Cup 2026 could become the biggest World Cup ever held.

However, the increase in prize money has not eased fans’ anger over ticket prices. Although tickets priced at $60 have been announced, they are limited to only around 400 fans. At the moment, FIFA have not commented further on the situation.