The World Cup champions will win $50m (£37.5m) as Fifa announced the total prize fun has increased by 50 per cent
Fifa has announced record prize money for next summer’s World Cup amid the escalating row over ticket prices for the tournament.
While the World Cup champions will win $50m (£37.5m), an increase on the £34.6m won by Argentina when they defeated France in Qatar in 2022, Fifa confirmed that a total of $727m (£545m) would be paid out to teams as the number of participating countries rises from 32 to 48.
It represents a 50 per cent increase on the total prize fund paid out to teams at the last World Cup in Qatar, and comes as tickets for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico are up to five times more expensive for fans than they were in 2022.
Amid a fierce backlash, Fifa subsequently announced a new category of $60 (£45) tickets that will be available for every game, but with those tickets available for just 10 per cent of the eight per cent allocation for Participating Member Associations, only a lucky few will benefit while the remainder of supporters will have to pay up to £5,000 if they follow their country through to the final.
A statement from Football Supporters Europe said: “Following significant pressure from supporters, Fifa has partially relented on its ticket price structuring.
“This shows that Fifa’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation – including with Fifa’s own member associations.
“While we welcome Fifa’s seeming recognition of the damage its original plans were to cause, the revisions do not go far enough to reconcile.
“Based on the allocations publicly available, this would mean that at best a few hundred fans per match and team would be lucky enough to take advantage of the $60 prices, while the vast majority would still have to pay extortionate prices, way higher than at any tournament before.”
As well as the record prize money for the World Cup, Fifa said that all participating nations will receive $1.5m each to cover preparation costs.
World Cup 2026 prize money
- Champions: $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
Category: General Sports
