“As a player, winning the World Cup, I think it’s the best,” Lionel Messi gushed when reflecting on his crowning moment of glory in Qatar four years ago. “After the World Cup, you can’t ask for anything more.”
However, the satisfaction of hoisting aloft this golden statue is not all that the winning team receives. The victorious nation in New Jersey next July will also be entitled to $50 million. Just as this World Cup boasts the most matches, hosts and declarations from U.S. President Donald Trump, it also contains the largest prize pot ever dished out by FIFA since the competition’s inception in 1930.
Some would swiftly point to the fact that FIFA are on course to make more money than ever before through ticket prices which have inspired scathing attacks on world soccer’s governing body. Nevertheless, the sums on offer for the competing nations certainly bring to mind Messi’s words: “You can’t ask for anything more.”
2026 World Cup Prize Money By Round
| Exit Round | Sum |
|---|---|
| Group Stage | $9 million |
| Round of 32 | $11 million |
| Round of 16 | $15 million |
| Quarterfinal | $19 million |
| Fourth Place (Third-Place Playoff Loser) | $27 million |
| Third Place | $29 million |
| Runners-Up | $33 million |
| Winner | $50 million |
Total 2026 World Cup Prize Money Pool
A swollen pile of $655 million will be dished out to the 48 competing nations based on their finish in the competition. The difference between losing and winning the World Cup final can be nothing more than a penalty shootout, but is valued at a cool $17 million.
FIFA have set aside a total contribution of $727 million, with each team entitled to $1.5 million for preparation fees. This ensures that every single country will bank a minimum of $10.5 million even if they lose all three games without scoring a goal.
Evolution of World Cup Prize Money
World Cup prize money has come a long way even in the past two decades. When Italy won the global crown in 2006 they were entitled to $12.2 million, less than a quarter of the sum on offer next summer. However, that fee still represents a heft hike compared to the Azzurri’s triumph in 1982.
Enzo Bearzot’s unlikely champions in Spain walked away with $1.4 million, the equivalent of $4.7 million in today’s money. Yet, the glory of that triumph has lasted far longer than the cents they earned. When Bearzot passed away in 2010, his star striker at that tournament, Paolo Rossi, labelled him “one of Italy’s greatest figures in the 20th century.” That reputation, which few would disagree with, is priceless.
| Year | Winning Nation | Prize Pot |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Italy | $1.4 million |
| 1986 | Argentina | $2.2 million |
| 1990 | West Germany | $3.5 million |
| 1994 | Brazil | $4.5 million |
| 1998 | France | $6.4 million |
| 2002 | Brazil | $8.5 million |
| 2006 | Italy | $12.2 million |
| 2010 | Spain | $30.1 million |
| 2014 | Germany | $35.1 million |
| 2018 | France | $38.1 million |
| 2022 | Argentina | $42.2 million |
| 2026 | TBD | $50 million |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 World Cup Prize Money: Complete Breakdown.