The biggest FIFA World Cup ever is about to come to an end. 16 host venues, 48 teams and a whopping 104 matches, which have produced 297 goals and counting. Pretty much everybody on earth, no matter how remote, will surely have been aware, to one degree or another, that the World Cup was happening.
Thus, FIFA generates billions of dollars from this one tournament that lasts just five weeks. So, how is some of that cash distributed in terms of prize money among the 48 competing nations?
How FIFA’s World Cup prize money is distributed
| Round | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Group stage | $9 million |
| Round of 32 | $11 million |
| Round of 16 | $15 million |
| Quarterfinal | $19 million |
| Fourth place | $27 million |
| Third place | $29 million |
| Runners-up | $33 million |
| Champions | $50 million |
Back in December in Washington DC, the day before the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the FIFA council approved a huge prize pot of $727 million. This represented a huge 50% increase on what was available to teams at the most-recent World Cup in Qatar, funded largely by the major increase in the number of matches, jumping from 64 to 104.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is not the most popular figure, to put it mildly, had this to say about the news:
“The World Cup will also be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community.”
To begin with, all 48 teams that managed to qualify receive $1.5 million “to cover preparation costs.” This is used to fund travel, accommodation, support staff, equipment and other basic essentials. The 16 teams eliminated in the group stages then receive an extra $9 million in prize money.
Thus, every team is guaranteed at least $10.5 million, even if they turn up and lose every single game, as Haiti, Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Panama did. As teams progress through the competition, this prize money goes up and up and up. There has been much scoffing and sneering towards the third-place playoff, or the Bronze Final as FIFA is trying to call it. Fair to say, after their respective semifinal exits this week, neither France nor England wanted to be in South Florida, in 86-degree heat, for that game on Saturday, but England did earn an extra $2 million for winning that game.
On Sunday, Spain and Argentina meet in New Jersey. By reaching the final, both are guaranteed $33 million already, with the victors increasing their share all the way up to $50 million. So, how does this figure compare to previous World Cup winners of the past?
FIFA World Cup winners’ prize money through history
| Year | Champions | Winners’ prize money |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Spain/Argentina | $50 million |
| 2022 | Argentina | $42 million |
| 2018 | France | $38 million |
| 2014 | Germany | $35 million |
| 2010 | Spain | $30 million |
| 2006 | Italy | $20 million |
| 2002 | Brazil | $9 million |
| 1998 | France | $6.4 million |
| 1994 | Brazil | $4.5 million |
| 1990 | West Germany | $3.5 million |
| 1986 | Argentina | $2.8 million |
| 1982 | Italy | $2.2 million |
Note: All figures are courtesy of BusinessStats.
The figures document the World Cup’s exponential growth throughout the decades since prize money was first formally introduced at Spain ’82. As recently as 2002, winners Brazil earned just $9 million, the same amount as a side eliminated in this summer’s group phase.
Of course, some of that is representative of inflation. $9 million in 2002 is the equivalent of around $16.8 million today. Nevertheless, it has never been more profitable for a federation to have a successful international soccer team, with Spain or Argentina pocketing $50 million for winning just eight matches, an eye-watering amount when you really think about it.
