FIFA has approved a 50% increase in the prize fund for the upcoming World Cup.
According to this increase:
- The winner will receive $50 million.
- The runner-up will get $33 million.
- Teams that fail to advance past the group stage will still receive $9 million.
Additional preparation costs for national teams can reach up to $1.5 million.
Based on these calculations, a national team that qualifies for the tournament is guaranteed at least $10.5 million. Therefore, if Kosovo achieves this historic success by advancing through the playoff matches, it will earn at least this amount.
Following the FIFA Executive Committee meeting, it was announced that $727 million will be distributed among member federations as part of the 2026 World Cup funding, with $655 million allocated as direct prizes for participating national teams.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the 2026 World Cup as “revolutionary for financial contributions to global football”. FIFA expects to generate $13 billion during the 2022–2026 cycle, nearly double the previous cycle, mainly due to the expansion of the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across three countries—USA, Canada, and Mexico—from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
