World Cup glory will be worth a record $50 million in prize money to the national association of the winning team at next year's tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada after FIFA confirmed a financial pot of $727m will be shared between the 48 competing nations.
The buildup to the 2026 World Cup has been overshadowed by controversy over ticket prices for the games, with FIFA forced to cut prices for a small number of tickets due to a backlash from supporters across the globe.
But despite their ticket-price climbdown, which ensures that some tickets will now be available for $60, FIFA has announced a record-breaking prize fund for the tournament on Wednesday during FIFA Council in Doha, Qatar.
The $727m overall fund will include a total of $655m being distributed to the teams based on their success in the competition, ranging from $9m for nations eliminated at the group stage to $33m for the losing finalists and the $50m set aside for the winners.
Argentina received $42 million after winning their third World Cup following a penalty shootout victory against France at Qatar 2022.
France received $38m after winning the 2018 World Cup. FIFA has been making the amount of World Cup prize money public since Italy was awarded $2.2m for winning the 1982 World Cup.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11 when co-hosts Mexico face South Korea in Mexico City.
