How much money will the champion win?

With the World Cup 2026 getting closer and closer Fifa has confirmed in the last few hours a historic decision in economic terms: the hosting of the tournament USA, Mexico and Canada will distribute 727 million dollarsa record value that represents an increase of 50% compared to Qatar 2022 and that will mark a before and after in the distribution of prizes for the participating teams.

Of the total approved 655 million dollars will be distributed exclusively in sports prizesan unprecedented figure in the history of the World Cup. The tournament winner receives 50 million dollarswhile the runner-up gets 33 million. Third place gets 29 million and fourth place gets 27 million.

Teams finishing between fifth and eighth will receive $19 million, while teams finishing between ninth and sixteenth will receive $15 million. From then on, those that finish between 17th and 32nd will receive $11 million, and teams that finish between 33rd and 48th will receive $9 million.

In addition, FIFA confirmed that each qualifying team will receive an additional $1.5 million to cover preparation costs, guaranteeing a minimum income of $10.5 million per team, even for those that do not make it past the initial stages of the tournament.

“The 2026 World Cup will also be revolutionary for world football from a financial perspective,” emphasized the FIFA President. Gianni Infantinoto announce the measure after the council meeting in the run-up to the Intercontinental Cup final in Doha.

The decision comes just days after the final draw on December 5 in Washington and underscores the economic impact of the tournament, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The expansion to 48 teams with 104 games partly explains the price jump and the stated goal of the Fifa Redistribute income on a global scale.

The council also made progress on other initiatives, such as the creation of international U-15 tournaments for men and women from 2026 and the approval of a special reconstruction fund for conflict-affected regions. However, the announcement of the World Cup prizes attracted a lot of attention: never before has participation in a World Cup been associated with such a financial reward for the participating teams.