FIFA has established a historic financial fund for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, expanding economic resources for both national teams (federations) and soccer clubs that lend their players.
1. Prizes for National Teams (Federations)
The prize fund for national teams reaches a record figure of $871 million (a 65% increase compared to the $440 million distributed at Qatar 2022).
Under this model, each national team receives a fixed payment based solely on the round in which they are eliminated, plus a base preparation fee:
| Achievement / Elimination Stage | Performance Prize | Preparation Fee | Total Received (USD) |
| Champion | $50,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $52,500,000 |
| Runner-Up | $33,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $35,500,000 |
| Third Place | $29,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $31,500,000 |
| Fourth Place | $27,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $29,500,000 |
| Eliminated in Quarterfinals (4 teams) | $19,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $21,500,000 each |
| Eliminated in Round of 16 (8 teams) | $15,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $17,500,000 each |
| Eliminated in Group Stage (16 teams) | $11,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $13,500,000 each |
| Eliminated in First Round (Group Stage) (16 teams) | $10,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $12,500,000 each |
Note: The minimum guaranteed payment for any participating country is $12.5 million, even if they lose all their first-round matches. The money is transferred to the local federations, who previously agree with their players on what percentage will be allocated to bonuses or allowances.
2. Payments to Clubs (Club Benefits Program)
FIFA is separately allocating a total of $355 million to compensate professional clubs worldwide that release their players for international commitments during this World Cup cycle.
For the first time, this benefit is not limited to the final tournament but also includes the qualifying stages:
- World Cup Final Stage ($250 million): A minimum estimated amount of $5,000 per player per day is calculated from the moment the player joins their national team until the day after their country’s last match in the tournament.
- Qualifying Stage ($100 million): Clubs receive approximately $2,360 per player for each official qualifying match in which the player is included in the official roster.
- Administrative Costs ($5 million): Allocated for the overall operational management of the program.
Image: ElHispanoParaTodos/PRESS
