The 2026 FIFA World Cup featured a record prize fund of $871 million (£662 million), making it the most lucrative tournament in the competition’s history.

FIFA had initially announced a prize pool of $727 million (£552 million), representing a 50 per cent increase from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a December report on the FIFA website noted.

However, in April, the governing body approved a further increase by raising the base participation prize and preparation fee, taking the total prize fund to $871 million.

The prize money was divided into performance-based rewards and non-performance-based financial support.

PUNCH Online reports that the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11, 2026, across the United States, Canada and Mexico and concluded on Sunday, July 19, with Spain defeating defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final to lift their second World Cup title.

A day earlier, on Saturday, 18 July, England defeated France 6-4 in the third-place playoff to secure the bronze medal, leaving France to finish fourth.

The tournament’s Round of 16 featured Morocco, France, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and Switzerland, who all progressed to the quarter-finals after defeating Canada, Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, the United States, Egypt and Colombia respectively.

The tournament ran for 39 days, featured 48 teams, and comprised 104 matches, making it the largest FIFA World Cup in history.

Performance-based prize money

Teams received increasing financial rewards based on how far they progressed in the tournament.

The breakdown Is as follows:

Champions: $51 million (£38 million)

Runners-up: $34 million (£25 million)

Third place: $30 million (£22 million)

Fourth place: $28 million (£20 million)

Quarter-finalists (5th-8th): $20 million (£14 million)

Round of 16 (9th-16th): $16 million (£11 million)

17th-32nd place: $12 million (£8 million)

33rd-48th place: $10 million (£7 million)

These performance-related payments account for $703 million of the total prize fund.

Guaranteed payments for all teams

The remaining $168 million was distributed equally among all 48 participating nations, regardless of their tournament performance.

Each team received:

Preparation funding: $2.5 million

Additional team contributions: More than $16 million shared among participating nations

Combined with the minimum $10 million participation payment for teams finishing between 33rd and 48th place, every nation was guaranteed at least $12.5 million for competing at the tournament.

According to FIFA, the preparation funding is intended to help cover expenses such as pre-tournament training camps and travel, while the additional team contributions are designed to offset delegation, logistics, administrative and ticketing costs, with the aim of reducing financial disparities among participating nations.

Background

According to FIFA, the 2026 FIFA World Cup featured a record prize fund of $871 million, the largest in the tournament’s history.

The governing body initially announced a total prize pool of $727 million in December 2025—already a 50 per cent increase over the amount distributed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar—but later approved an increase in April 2026 by raising the base participation payment and preparation fee.

The prize money was split between performance-based rewards and non-performance-based financial support. The champions received $51 million, runners-up $34 million, third-place finishers $30 million, while fourth place earned $28 million.

Quarter-finalists each received $20 million, teams eliminated in the Round of 16 earned $16 million, those finishing between 17th and 32nd place received $12 million, while teams placed 33rd to 48th collected $10 million.

In addition to performance-related earnings, every participating nation received a $2.5 million preparation grant to support pre-tournament expenses such as training camps and travel.

FIFA also provided additional financial contributions to help offset delegation, logistics, administrative and ticketing costs, ensuring that every team was guaranteed at least $12.5 million for participating in the tournament. (The PUNCH)

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