The FIFA Council for the 2026 men’s World Cup has approved a record prize fund of $655 million, representing a 50 percent increase from the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Tournament winners in the game holding in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, will receive $50 million, whilst runners-up will collect $33 million.
The prize structure sees third-place finishers awarded $29 million and fourth-place teams receiving $27 million. Quarter-finalists will each collect $19 million, round of 16 exits will receive $15 million, and teams departing at the round of 32 will take $11 million. Nations failing to progress from group stages will receive $9 million, with each qualified team guaranteed an additional $1.5 million in preparation costs, ensuring a minimum $10.5 million for every participating nation.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the tournament would be “groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community”. The governing body has projected $13 billion of revenue during the four-year cycle leading through next year’s tournament, a substantial rise from the $7.6 billion generated in the cycle leading to Qatar 2022.
The increased prize money follows controversy surrounding ticket prices for the tournament, which were on average 174 percent higher than projected in the official bid book submitted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2018. The average price across three categories for opening matches reached $1,728, compared to the projected $569, whilst World Cup final tickets at MetLife Stadium averaged $6,147 against the bid book’s $1,099 projection—an increase of 459 percent.
Following backlash from fans, media and federations, FIFA introduced a reduced price bracket of $60 for 1.6 percent of tickets per match, reinstating a category four price option. The joint hosts will stage the expanded tournament featuring additional knockout rounds, with Canada facing a UEFA playoff winner, Mexico playing South Africa, and the United States meeting Paraguay in opening fixtures.
