World football’s governing body, FIFA, has announced record prize money for the 2026 World Cup, representing a 50 per cent increase on the previous edition, with winners set to pocket $50 million.

FIFA confirmed that a total of $727 million will be distributed to participating teams, reflecting the tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 nations.

About $655 million will be paid out as prize money, while each of the 48 participating countries will receive $1.5 million to cover preparation costs, guaranteeing every team a minimum payout of $10.5 million.

FIFA also revealed it expects record revenues of approximately $13 billion between 2022 and 2026, up from $7.5 billion in the previous four-year cycle.

Under the prize structure, the winners will earn $50m, with the runners-up receiving $33m. Teams finishing between 33rd and 48th place in the expanded competition will take home $9m each.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the payments underline the scale of the tournament’s financial impact.

He described the 2026 World Cup as “groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community”.

The figures were disclosed following a meeting of the FIFA Council in Doha. The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The announcement comes amid growing criticism over ticket prices for the tournament, with some seats reportedly costing up to five times more than at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

2026 World Cup prize money breakdown

Winners: $50m

Runners-up: $33m

3rd place: $29m

4th place: $27m

5th-8th place: $19m

9th-16th place: $15m

17th-32nd place: $11m

33rd-48th place: $9m

(BusinessDay)