FIFA confirms huge World Cup prize money hike
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will have the richest champion’s payout in the tournament’s history, after the governing body confirmed a record-shattering $50million first place prize.
Meeting in Doha ahead of the Intercontinental Cup final, the FIFA Council signed off on a total financial distribution of $727 million USD for the expanded 48-team event. Of that, 655 million USD will be paid directly as prize money, representing a 50 per cent jump on the 2022 World Cup.
GUIDE: Betting on the FIFA World Cup
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.
Under the new structure, the runners-up will collect $33m, while the third-place team earns $29m and the fourth-placed side takes home $27m. Nations finishing between fifth and eighth will receive $19m, those in ninth to 16th collect $15m, and teams ranked 17th to 32nd bank $11m. The lowest tier — 33rd to 48th — will earn $9m.
FIFA will also provide every qualified nation with 1.5 million USD in preparation funding, guaranteeing each federation at least 10.5 million USD for simply reaching the tournament.
The FIFA World Cup is due to start in the USA, Canada and Mexico on June 11, 2026, with the final set to be played on July 19.
Spain (5.00) is the favourite to win the FIFA World Cup with international betting sites, ahead of England (6.50), France (8.50) and Brazil (9.00).
