On Sunday evening, Spain and Argentina will meet in this year’s World Cup final. It’s not just glory and a trophy that are at stake – the winner also gets a staggering sum of money.
New this year, and hopefully for the last time the winners will get a championship ring. – In addition, two thousand of them will be made and auctioned off.
Norway, who lost to England in the quarter-finals, will receive 19 million dollars.
Read: Captain Rodri!– Spain must play without fear in the World Cup final
How the prize money is distributed
| Location | Prize Amount |
|---|---|
| World Cup winner | $50 million (approx. £37 million) |
| World Cup loser | $28.8 million (approx. £21.4 million) |
In comparison, Argentina received $42 million when they won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. This year’s winner can thus enjoy $8 million more than last time.
Record-breaking prize pool
FIFA has turned up the volume considerably for the 2026 World Cup. The total prize pool now stands at a staggering $655 million (approximately £490 million) – an increase of as much as 50 percent from the previous championship.
All teams get money – even those that smoked early
Even teams that disappeared early in the tournament are left with solid sums. Every single one of the 48 participants is guaranteed a minimum of $10.5 million just for qualifying for the playoffs.
In other words: it pays to be in the World Cup – no matter how far you go. But it pays best to win.
World Cup prizes – this is how the money is distributed
| Location | Prize Amount | Number of teams |
|---|---|---|
| Master | $50 million | 1 |
| Finalist | $33 million | 1 |
| 3rd place | $29 million | 1 |
| 4th place | $27 million | 1 |
| Quarterfinalists (5th-8th place) | $19 million each | 4 |
| Round of 16 finalists (9th-16th place) | $15 million each | 8 |
| Round 32 finalists (17th-32nd place) | $11 million each | 16 |
| Group stage (33rd-48th place) | $9 million each | 16 |
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