FIFA has allocated a staggering £490 million in prize money for next summer’s World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to begin within six months, and the draw has already been completed. Although some eligibility issues are still unresolved, FIFA has confirmed the total prize money available to each participating nation. A whopping £490m has been set aside for this purpose.
This represents a 50 per cent increase from the amount on offer for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Each team is guaranteed at least £1.1m to cover their participation costs, with teams finishing between 33rd and 48th receiving £6.7m. Teams 17th to 32nd will receive £8.2m, while teams 9th to 16th will receive £11.2m. The amounts will continue to increase in stages, with the fourth-placed team securing £20m and the third-placed team securing £21.7m.
The numbers become even more impressive when it comes to the two finalists. The runner-up will take home around £24.7 million and the winner will take home £37.4 million along with the coveted trophy.
FIFA’s announcement regarding the tournament’s prize money came amid harsh criticism of its ticket pricing strategy. Fans have accused FIFA of exorbitant prices, with the cheapest tickets for the final expected to cost around £4,000.
This forced the governing body to make a major U-turn, cutting around 10 per cent of each country’s ticket allocation to around £45 each.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed: “Fans of national teams that qualify for the 2026 FIFA World CupTM will benefit from a dedicated ticket price range designed to make it more affordable to watch their team on football’s greatest stage.”
“The newly introduced supporter entry slots will be available for each of the 104 matches, including the final, at a fixed price of $60 per ticket.
The tournament will begin on June 11, 2026, with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa in the opening match. England begin their campaign in the next few days, with the Three Lions’ first game scheduled for June 17th against Croatia in Arlington.
