CORNERFLICK
FIFA awarded a total of $871 million to the 48 teams that participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, setting a new record for the highest prize money in the tournament's history. Each team's share was determined based on its performance throughout the competition.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded with a new record in total prize money. In the first-ever edition featuring 48 teams and jointly hosted by three countries, FIFA distributed a total of $871 million among the participating teams. Including additional preparation grants, FIFA paid nearly $1 billion to the national football associations that took part in the tournament.
The largest share of the prize money went to Spain, the 2026 FIFA World Cup champion. The Royal Spanish Football Federation received $51 million for Spain's title-winning campaign, and it has announced that the funds will be allocated to grassroots football development as well as bonus payments for members of the national team.
In addition to performance-based prize money, FIFA also allocated $2.5 million to each of the 48 participating football associations as a pre-tournament preparation grant to help cover part of the costs associated with competing in the tournament.
Under the tournament's financial structure, teams eliminated in the group stage each received $10 million. Teams eliminated in the Round of 32 earned $12 million, those reaching the Round of 16 received $16 million, and teams eliminated in the quarter-finals collected $20 million each.
Among the four finalists, France received $28 million for finishing fourth, while England earned $30 million for securing third place. This demonstrates that even the third-place playoff carried significant financial value for the participating teams.
Despite losing the final, Argentina received $34 million in prize money, a sum that could be invested in the continued development of football in the country and in planning for the next generation of players.
2026 FIFA World Cup Prize Money
Spain (Champions): $51 million Argentina (Runners-up): $34 million England (Third Place): $30 million France (Fourth Place): $28 million
Quarter-finalists (eliminated in the quarter-finals – $20 million each):
Morocco Belgium Norway Switzerland
Round of 16 (eliminated in the Round of 16 – $16 million each):
Paraguay Canada Portugal United States Brazil Mexico Egypt Colombia
Round of 32 (eliminated in the Round of 32 – $12 million each):
Germany Sweden South Africa Netherlands Croatia Austria Bosnia and Herzegovina Senegal Japan Côte d'Ivoire Ecuador Democratic Republic of the Congo Cape Verde Australia Algeria Ghana
Group Stage (eliminated in the group stage – $10 million each):
Iran South Korea Scotland Uruguay Czech Republic Qatar Haiti Türkiye Curaçao Tunisia New Zealand Saudi Arabia Iraq Jordan Uzbekistan Panama
With the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams and the substantial growth in FIFA's commercial revenues, the tournament's prize money has reached the highest level in its history. The upward trend is expected to continue in future editions as the competition continues to grow commercially and globally.