FIFA has approved an increase of more than $100 million in additional payments to national federations participating in the 2026 World Cup, citing higher‑than‑expected costs associated with the tournament’s North‑American venues.
At a meeting of the FIFA Council in Vancouver on Tuesday, the governing body raised the basic allocation to each federation by $2 million, setting a new minimum of $12.5 million. The decision follows concerns raised by several of the 48 qualified federations – particularly those from Europe – that the original prize‑money structure and preparation‑fund allocations would leave them financially exposed unless they progressed to the later knockout stages.
The council also increased the pre‑tournament training and expense grant from $1.5 million to $2.5 million and lifted the basic prize‑money component to $10 million per federation. In total, the prize‑money pool now stands at $655 million, with $50 million earmarked for the eventual champion.
Revenue projections for the tournament, which will be co‑hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and kick off on 11 June, are expected to reach at least $11 billion. The higher payouts are intended to offset additional expenses that teams face in the United States, including tax obligations that do not apply in Canada and Mexico.
FIFA also announced an extra $16 million in subsidies for delegation costs and will allocate additional tickets to each federation. Under existing regulations, FIFA is already responsible for business‑class round‑trip flights for a 50‑person delegation, as well as accommodation covering five nights before a team’s first match and one night after elimination. Domestic travel, a dedicated fleet of vehicles and an equipment truck are also provided.
National federations remain liable for insurance covering injury, accident, disease and travel, as well as incidental hotel expenses and housing for any additional delegation members.
The increased financial support reflects FIFA’s effort to ensure that all participating teams can compete without bearing undue financial strain, while the expanded prize pool underscores the commercial growth of the 2026 World Cup.
