The FIFA Council has just wrapped up a meeting in Doha, Qatar, and one major decision has quietly changed the financial landscape of international football.
The prize money for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico is set to increase by 50% compared to what was paid out at Qatar 2022.
This isn’t just about rising ticket prices or commercial deals. FIFA is now rewarding participation and success at a level we’ve never seen before.
$50 Million for World Champions.
Winning the World Cup has always meant immortality: lifting the trophy, writing your name into history, and calling yourself world champions for four years.
Now, there’s a massive financial reward to match the glory. World Cup winners (2026) will earn $50 million. That’s roughly £37 million
For football associations, this is a transformative sum — one that can fund grassroots football, infrastructure, youth development, and long-term projects.
Even the Worst Teams Get Paid.
Here’s where things get really interesting: With the expanded 48-team format, even the teams that perform the worst will walk away with serious money.
Teams finishing 33rd to 48th (at the bottom of the tournament) will still receive £6.75 million. On top of that, every qualified nation gets £1.1 million to cover preparation costs. That means every single team that qualifies, no matter how badly they perform, will earn around £8 million.
- Lose all your games.
- Finish at the bottom of your group.
- Go home after two weeks.
You still leave with millions in the bank.
What This Means for World Football
This prize structure changes everything. Smaller nations now have a huge financial incentive just to qualify; football associations can justify greater investment in national teams, qualification alone can reshape football development in emerging countries, and the gap between “making it” and “missing out” has never been wider.
For many countries, £8 million is more than they earn from football in several years combined.
FIFA’s Message Is Clear: FIFA is no longer just rewarding champions; it’s rewarding participation. The 2026 World Cup isn’t just the biggest in history by size; it’s also the richest. And whether you lift the trophy or finish dead last, the World Cup has never paid better.
