Amid Nigeria yet to qualify, FIFA approves $655m prize money, $50m for 2026 World Cup winners

Photo credit:Ank Kumar / Wikimedia Commons

FIFA has approved a significant increase in prize money for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, confirming that the champions of the tournament will receive $50 million, the highest reward ever given to a World Cup winner.

The decision was ratified by the FIFA Council as part of financial planning for the first expanded 48-team World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Record financial commitment by FIFA

Under the approved structure, FIFA will distribute $655 million as performance-based prize money during the tournament. In addition, each of the 48 qualified teams will receive $1.5 million as pre-tournament preparation support, bringing FIFA’s total financial contribution to $727 million.

The preparation funding is designed to assist national teams with expenses such as training camps, logistics, travel, accommodation, and technical preparations ahead of the competition. This ensures that even teams eliminated in the group stage will benefit financially from qualification.

Winners to receive historic $50m

The tournament winners will earn $50 million, a substantial increase compared to previous World Cup editions. Teams that progress further into the knockout stages will receive progressively higher payouts, reflecting their performance throughout the competition.

FIFA explained that the revised prize structure aligns with the expanded scale of the tournament, which will feature more matches, more participating nations, and wider global viewership.

Explaining the figures

While many reports highlight the $655 million figure, FIFA clarified that this amount refers strictly to performance-based prize money. When the compulsory $1.5 million preparation payment to each qualified team is included, the total payout rises to $727 million.

Both figures are accurate but describe different components of FIFA’s financial distribution.

Expansion expected to boost revenue

The 2026 World Cup will be the first in history to feature 48 teams, an increase from the traditional 32-team format. FIFA expects the expanded competition to generate record revenue from broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticket sales and commercial partnerships.

With matches spread across three host nations, the tournament is projected to attract unprecedented global attention.

Nigeria yet to secure qualification

Nigeria’s Super Eagles are still battling to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup, with African qualifiers ongoing. Although Nigeria has not yet booked a place, the new prize structure underlines the growing financial importance of qualifying for the tournament.

For African nations, qualification alone now guarantees a significant financial boost, while deeper progress could provide funds for football development, infrastructure and player welfare.

Tournament schedule

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

FIFA says the revised prize system reflects its commitment to redistributing tournament revenue more equitably in line with the growing size and commercial strength of the World Cup.