20.07.2026 08:50
The details of the record prize pool distributed at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico with 48 teams competing, have been revealed. Spain, which defeated Argentina in the final to claim the championship, received the largest share of the massive budget, while the net amounts received by all participating federations have been clarified.
FIFA has set the total budget for the 2026 World Cup at a record $871 million. Due to increased travel and accommodation costs stemming from the tournament's wide geographical scope, an additional allocation of over $100 million was added to the budget in April.
RECORD BUDGET FROM FIFA
All 48 national federations competing in the World Cup have guaranteed at least $12.5 million in revenue for participating in the tournament. To prevent potential bonus disputes, $2.5 million of this amount has been transferred as an "advance payment" for pre-tournament training and preparation expenses. The remaining $10 million has been designated as a participation award for the qualifying and group stages.
In addition to monetary awards, FIFA has also covered the following expenses to alleviate the financial burden on federations:
- Round-trip business class flights for 50-person delegations from each federation.
- All hotel and meal expenses starting five days before the first match until the night after elimination.
- Domestic travel costs and dedicated vehicle fleets allocated to teams.
Federations are only responsible for additional personnel costs, extended accommodation periods, and private insurance expenses.
AWARDS OVERSHADOWED BY CLUB FOOTBALL
Although the amounts distributed in the tournament are at record levels, they lag behind club football revenues, sparking debate. French Football Federation President Philippe Diallo noted that national team awards remain low in an environment where the champion of the revamped Club World Cup earns $115 million. It was highlighted that even the transfer fee paid by English club Brighton for 19-year-old Luka Vuškovic exceeds the tournament awards.
The discretion over the use of prize money is left entirely to the internal rules of each national federation. For example, the U.S. Soccer Federation allocates 20% of its revenue to corporate governance, while deciding to distribute the remaining 80% equally between the women's and men's national teams. The champion Spain was not permanently awarded the original golden trophy; instead, a gold-plated replica was presented.
WORLD CUP ROUND ADVANCEMENT PRIZE DISTRIBUTION TABLE
In Qatar 2022, champion Argentina earned $42 million, with a total pool of $440 million. In the revised new prize pool (excluding preparation allowances), the net prize amounts determined by stage are listed as follows:
- Group Stage 33rd - 48th Place: $10 Million
- Round of 32 17th - 32nd Place: $12 Million
- Round of 16 9th - 16th Place: $16 Million
- Quarterfinalists 5th - 8th Place: $20 Million
- Fourth Place (France): $28 Million
- Third Place (England): $30 Million
- Second Place (Argentina) 2nd Place: $34 Million
- Champion (Spain) 1st Place: $51 Million
TOTAL EARNINGS BY TEAM
Including the $2.5 million participation and logistics advance paid to federations, the total revenues earned by teams from the tournament are as follows:
- Earned $12.5 Million (Eliminated in Group Stage): Türkiye, South Korea, Czechia, Qatar, Scotland, Haiti, Curaçao, Tunisia, Iran, New Zealand, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Panama.
- Earned $14.5 Million (Eliminated in Round of 32): South Africa, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Sweden, Ecuador, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Croatia, Algeria, Australia, Cape Verde, Ghana.
- Earned $18.5 Million (Eliminated in Round of 16): Canada, Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, USA, Egypt, Colombia.
- Earned $22.5 Million (Eliminated in Quarterfinals): Morocco, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland.
- $28 Million (Fourth Place): France
- $30 Million (Third Place): England
- $34 Million (Second Place): Argentina
- $51 Million (Champion): Spain