World football governing body FIFA has approved a total prize fund of $655 million for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing a 50 per cent increase from the previous edition staged in Qatar. The expanded tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first World Cup to feature 48 teams.
By comparison, FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup, which grew from seven to 32 teams and was also staged in the United States, carried a total prize fund of $1 billion. The winner of that tournament stood to earn up to $125 million, despite the competition attracting criticism from players’ unions and domestic leagues over congestion in the football calendar, as well as sparse crowds at some matches.
FIFA said the disparity in prize money between the two tournaments reflects differing financial models, noting that clubs shoulder significantly higher operational costs, particularly player wages, compared to national teams.
Beyond prize money, FIFA said additional funds would be channelled toward the global development of football.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the 2026 World Cup as “groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community.”
The prize structure was approved at a meeting of the FIFA Council in Doha. Under the new framework, the World Cup winner will receive the largest share, while the runner-up will earn $33 million.
The teams finishing third and fourth will receive $29 million and $27 million, respectively.
At the lower end, the minimum prize money will be $9 million, with all 48 participating nations also guaranteed $1.5 million each to cover what FIFA terms “preparation costs.”
In total, FIFA said $727 million will be distributed to the national football federations taking part in the tournament.
How the funds will be shared with players remains at the discretion of individual federations. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, French sports daily L’Equipe reported that France’s players were set to receive bonuses of about $586,000 each had they won the tournament. France were ultimately defeated by Argentina in the final.
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