World football governing body (FIFA) has announced a 50% increase in prize money for the 2026 World Cup, with the champions set to receive $50 million, Afrosport reports.
The announcement comes amid widespread public criticism over ticket pricing for the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada. In response to the backlash, FIFA this week confirmed that a limited number of discounted tickets would be made available to fans of participating nations.
Following a meeting of the FIFA Council in Doha, the governing body said a total of $727 million would be distributed to its member associations.
Of that amount, $655 million will be paid out as prize money to teams that qualify for the tournament.
The runners-up will receive $33 million, while teams finishing between 33rd and 48th place in the expanded competition will earn $9 million each. In addition, every participating nation will receive $1.5 million to cover preparation costs, guaranteeing a minimum payout of $10.5m per team.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the 2026 World Cup would be “groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community.”
