2026 World Cup: $12.5 million from the group stages, $50 million for the winner... how much will the federations receive depending on their performance?

For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has allocated a budget of $871 million in prize money for participating nations, including $50 million for the winner (approximately €43 million).

A massive prize budget for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA has gone all out on the prize money for the competition, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada and kicks off on June 11. A total of $871 million (approximately €748 million) will be allocated to the various nations based on their performance in the tournament. This is more than $100 million more than what was announced last December.

"FIFA is proud to show the strongest financial position in its history, which allows us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way. This is yet another example of how FIFA's resources are being reinvested in football," said Gianni Infantino last April after the organization's Congress in Vancouver.

$50 million for the winning country

All teams participating in the 2026 World Cup will leave with a substantial sum of money, regardless of their performance. For a nation eliminated in the group stage, the minimum prize money is $12.5 million (approximately €10.7 million). The further a team progresses in the tournament, the higher the prize money will be. While the exact amounts have not been disclosed for nations reaching the semi-finals or quarter-finals, the winner of the 2026 World Cup will take home $50 million (approximately €43 million).

By comparison, Argentina left with $42 million (approximately €36 million) from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, out of a total budget of $440 million. This sum was already considered the highest ever allocated for a World Cup. But for the 2026 edition, 48 teams, instead of the usual 32, will participate for the first time in the competition's history. And the costs will also be significantly higher for the federations compared to a World Cup without travel to Qatar.