FIFA has approved a significant increase in financial rewards for teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, raising the total distribution to $871 million and setting a new record for the tournament.
The decision was taken at the 36th FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, Canada, even as the world football governing body continues to face criticism over ticket pricing and aspects of its commercial partnerships.
The 2026 tournament would be staged across the United States, Mexico, and Canada from 11 June.
Under the revised structure, each national association would now receive higher guaranteed payments before the competition begins.
Preparation funding has been increased to $2.5 million per team, up from $1.5 million at the 2022 World Cup, while qualification payments rise to $10 million from $9 million.
This means every qualified team is now assured a minimum of at least $12.5 million, excluding additional performance-based earnings during the tournament.
The new financial package is intended to help countries cope with rising costs linked to World Cup participation, including travel, training facilities, and team management expenses.
Analysts said the changes could especially benefit smaller football nations with limited budgets compared to traditional powerhouses.
Reacting to the development, Ricardo Fort, founder of Fort Consulting, said the adjustment reflects FIFA’s redistribution approach.
“This incremental contribution to the national football associations reinforces FIFA’s role in redistributing the commercial success of the tournament back into the global football ecosystem,” he said.
The 2026 edition would also be the first World Cup expanded to 48 teams, up from 32, making it the largest in the competition’s history.
New entrants are expected to include Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, all set to make their debut appearances.
FIFA also revealed that over $16 million has been set aside for costs tied to participating delegations and ticketing support, contributing to the overall $871 million payout structure.
The latest decision builds on an earlier approval by the FIFA Council in December, which set a record prize pool of $727 million, a 65 per cent rise from the $440 million distributed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
While the expanded payouts highlight the tournament’s growing commercial strength, FIFA continues to face scrutiny over its financial model and commercial decisions.
