Africa-Press – Lesotho. FIFA is considering a major increase in prize money for all 48 teams that will compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as preparations continue for the biggest edition of the tournament in history.
The proposal is expected to be discussed at Tuesday’s FIFA Council meeting ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
If approved, participating nations could receive significantly more financial rewards than previously announced.
The 2026 tournament, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, expanding from the traditional 32-nation format.
Earlier plans released by FIFA in December placed the total prize fund at $655 million, a 50 percent increase from the previous World Cup.
Under that structure, the eventual champions would earn $50 million, runners-up $33 million, while teams eliminated in the group stage were set to receive $9 million each.
Every qualified country was also due to receive $1.5 million to support preparation costs ahead of the competition.
However, FIFA has now confirmed fresh talks with football associations worldwide to further raise the amount available to teams.
The governing body says its strong financial position makes the increase possible.
According to FIFA, the organisation is projected to generate more than $11 billion in revenue during the 2023 to 2026 financial cycle, boosted by commercial success and the strong performance of recent competitions.
A FIFA spokesperson said the 2026 World Cup is expected to deliver unprecedented financial benefits to global football, while also increasing development support for all 211 member associations through the FIFA Forward programme.
The expanded tournament will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with millions of fans expected to witness a historic new chapter in World Cup history.
