Fifa has decided to strike hard for the 2026 World Cup organized in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A few weeks before the launch of the competition, the international body has considerably increased the financial rewards promised to qualified selections.
Nearly 871 million dollars, or approximately 748 million euros, will be redistributed to the different nations depending on their results during the tournament, as reported RMC. A completely new envelope, more than $100 million higher than the estimates communicated last December.
All teams entered will leave with a substantial bonus, even in the event of elimination in the group stage. Each selection will receive a minimum of 12.5 million dollars, or approximately 10.7 million euros. The amounts will then climb throughout the course in the final table.
$50 million for the winner
If Fifa has not yet detailed the bonuses awarded to the quarter-finalists or semi-finalists, the future world champion should receive nearly 50 million dollars, or around 43 million euros. For comparison, the Argentina team pocketed $42 million after its title at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in a competition whose overall budget already reached a record amount of $440 million.
This explosion in prize money can be explained in particular by the new format of the tournament. For the first time in history, 48 selections will participate in the World Cup instead of the usual 32. A development which mechanically leads to an increase in redistributed income, but also much greater logistical costs for the federations, with a competition spread over three countries and immense distances to travel between the different host cities.
