FIFA has just turned the money dial way up for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada announcing a 50% increase in prize money and a headline figure that jumps off the page: $50m for the champions.
That’s not just a trophy-and-confetti moment anymore. That’s a country-changing payday.
The big numbers (and why they matter)
After a FIFA Council meeting in Doha, FIFA confirmed that $727m will be shared with member nations as a result of World Cup 2026, with $655m of that set aside specifically as prize money for teams that qualify.
Here’s how the top end stacks up:
- Winners: $50m
- Runners up: $33m
- Teams finishing 33rd – 48th: $9m each
And even if your team doesn’t go on a dream run, there’s still money guaranteed: FIFA is giving $1.5m per team for “preparation costs,” meaning every qualified nation gets at least $10.5m overall.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the tournament “groundbreaking” in terms of how much it contributes financially to football worldwide and honestly, with numbers like this, it’s hard to argue it won’t shake things up.
Bigger World Cup, bigger cash… and FIFA’s bigger business
FIFA also pointed to how the World Cup’s expansion helps fuel the financial boom. They’re now projecting $13bn in revenue from 2022 – 2026, a huge leap from $7.5bn over the previous four-year cycle.
A chunk of that growth, FIFA says, comes from:
- the expanded World Cup format, and
- the men’s Club World Cup (which also helps drive broadcast and sponsorship money)
Translation: the tournament is getting bigger, the audience is getting bigger, and the money machine is getting louder.
The awkward timing: prize money rises… while ticket anger burns
Here’s where fans start raising eyebrows.
This prize money announcement arrives days after public backlash over ticket prices. FIFA responded by announcing limited $60 (£45) tickets through national team fan allocations (the ones sold via official supporter clubs).
Sounds good… until you read the small print:
- Only 10% of those allocation tickets will be sold at that $60 price.
So for a match like England vs Croatia, the example given suggests this helps about 400 fans out of 4,000+ who can access the supporter allocation.
For everyone else?
- Tickets for that opening match reportedly start around £198
- And the final can reach around £3,140
Fan take: what this could mean on the pitch
If you’re a supporter, it’s easy to feel two things at once:
1) Excitement:
More prize money can mean more funding for grassroots football, coaching, facilities, and player development — especially for smaller nations where a World Cup run can change everything.
2) Frustration:
If the tournament is making record money and teams are getting bigger payouts, fans naturally ask:
“Cool… so why does it still feel like regular fans are being priced out?”
The 2026 vibe: bigger than ever, for better and for worse
The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be massive more teams, more games, more cities, more noise.
And now, more money than ever.
The dream is still the same: your country lifting the trophy.
But in 2026, that dream comes with a number attached to it:
$50,000,000.
And whether that feels inspiring, annoying, or both… depends on whether you’re watching from the stands or your living room.
If you want, tell me which country you support and I’ll rewrite this in an even more “fan voice” style tailored to your team (hype, jokes, and all).
