sports
World Cup prize pool nears $900 million as FIFA boosts payouts. Here's who gets what
FIFA's upcoming World Cup is set to be the most lucrative on-record, with a 'record breaking' prize pool on offer, as FIFA shrugs off other controversies.
TL;DR
- FIFA has increased the total distribution for the 2026 World Cup to $871 million, making it the most lucrative edition on record.
- Participating teams will receive an additional $2 million, with preparation money rising to $2.5 million and qualification money to $10 million.
- The minimum payout for each team will be $12.5 million, with additional prize money based on performance.
- The 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams, and more than $16 million is allocated for delegation costs and ticketing.
- Concerns have been raised by fans regarding FIFA's dynamic ticket pricing system, with some prices reportedly increasing tenfold.
- FIFA stated that group stage tickets started at $60, allocated to supporters of qualified teams.
- Despite ticket price issues, demand for the 2026 World Cup remains high, with around 508 million requests for seven million tickets.
- FIFA's revenues for 2025 totaled $2.66 billion, with television broadcasting rights as a major contributor.
- FIFA's total assets rose to $9.48 billion, but total reserves fell by 8%.