Key Takeaways
- FIFA will raise prize money and payments for all 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup
- National associations feared losing money due to high travel costs and US taxes
- Development funding for 211 member associations will also increase
World football’s governing body has agreed to increase the prize fund for this summer’s expanded tournament. The decision follows warnings from several national football associations that they could lose money even while competing in the event.
The FIFA Council will confirm the new payment plan during their meeting in Vancouver this week. The original programme promised each of the 48 participating teams at least $10.5 million (£7.4 million). The winners were set to receive $50 million (£37 million). Now these amounts will go up further.
National football bodies raised alarms about expensive travel, running costs, and taxes across the United States. Unlike previous tournaments, FIFA could not secure special tax breaks for the competing teams. This means associations must pay federal, state, and city taxes on their earnings. Tax rates vary by location, from zero per cent in Florida to 13.3 per cent in California.
European football groups, including the English Football Association, asked UEFA to press FIFA for better financial terms. Under the previous payment system, teams only received significant increases if they reached the semi-finals or final. Many federations claimed they would operate at a loss unless they advanced to the last four.
FIFA has also promised to boost development money distributed through its Forward programme. The organisation had already planned to share $2.7 billion (£2 billion) among its 211 members over the next four years. Each association was due to receive $5 million (£3.7 million), with the six regional confederations getting $60 million (£44.5 million) each. These payments will now increase.
The governing body expects to earn $13 billion (£9.6 billion) during this four-year cycle, with $9 billion (£6.67 billion) coming from the World Cup alone. FIFA stated it is in its strongest financial position ever and remains committed to supporting football development worldwide.