World football’s governing body, FIFA, has unveiled a significantly enhanced financial package for nations set to compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The announcement confirms a 50 per cent increase in prize money, marking one of the most financially rewarding tournaments in football history. In total, participating teams will share a record $727 million (£544.8m), a figure approved by FIFA’s council as part of the competition’s overall distribution plan.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the move as another step toward making the World Cup a landmark event, not just in scale but in its economic impact on the global football community. According to him, the expanded financial rewards underline FIFA’s commitment to ensuring that the tournament benefits football nations across all continents.
The development comes just a day after FIFA announced the release of a limited number of £45 tickets for all 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup, following widespread criticism over the initial ticket pricing structure.
Beyond prize money, FIFA’s council also approved the creation of a post-conflict recovery fund, aligned with its goal of promoting football’s unifying values. The initiative follows an earlier announcement by Infantino at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace on October 13, 2025, where he revealed plans for a support mechanism to assist regions affected by conflict.
With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, FIFA has allocated $655 million in performance-based prize money, alongside an additional $1.5 million per team for preparation costs. This means every country that qualifies for the World Cup is guaranteed at least $10.5 million, regardless of how far they progress.
Prize money breakdown for the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
- Champions: $50 million
- Runners-up: $33 million
- Third place: $29 million
- Fourth place: $27 million
- Quarter-finalists (5th–8th): $19 million each
- Round of 16 (9th–16th): $15 million each
- Round of 32 (17th–32nd): $11 million each
- Group stage (33rd–48th): $9 million each
- Preparation fee (all teams): $1.5 million each (in addition)
With these figures, the 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be not only the biggest tournament in FIFA’s history by size, but also the most financially rewarding — a development expected to have lasting effects on football development worldwide.
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