FIFA Raises Men's '26 World Cup Rewards To $700M+, Adjusts Ticket Pricing
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 04:17PM By Barry Janoff
December 17, 2025: FIFA said today it has approved a “record-breaking financial contribution of $727 million to be distributed as a result of the Men’s World Cup 2026.
The biggest share – $655 million – would be paid out as prize money among the 48 participating teams, a 50% increase compared to the previous edition.
Under the new financial program, the World Cup championship team would earn $50 million, runners-up: $33 million, the 3rd place team $29 million and 4th place squad $27 million.
After that, the teams that finish 5th-8th place would earn $19 million each, 9th-16th place $15 million, 7th- 32nd place $11 million and 33rd-48th place $9 million each.
In addition, FIFA said each qualified team would receive $1.5 million to cover preparation costs.
“This means that all Participating Member Associations are guaranteed at least $10.5 million each for their participation in next year’s tournament.”
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said via the organization..
FIFA has also made a significant adjustment to its ticket pricing, seemingly in response to what news organizations are calling “widespread backlash from supporter groups to the latest prices.”
According to FIFA, “Fans of the national teams that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable.
"The newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier will be available at the fixed price of $60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.”
The entry tier tickets will be allocated specifically to supporters of qualified teams, with the selection and distribution process managed individually by the Participating Member Associations.
Each PMA will define its own eligibility criteria and application process. They are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams, according to FIFA.
In total, 50% of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely Supporter Value Tier (40%) and the Supporter Entry Tier (10%). The remaining allocation is split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier.
In addition, people applying through the PMA allocation whose teams do not advance to the knockout phase will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed for unsuccessful applications.
Among other news groups, ESPN reported that, “Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the current prices as ‘extortionate’ and called on FIFA to immediately halt ticket sales via national associations "until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found."
"'This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,'" it said in a statement.
"Despite Scotland's strong demand for ticket sales for what will be the country's first World Cup appearance since 1998, a Scottish supporters' group called the prices "disgraceful and disgusting" and urged the country's football association to make their feelings known to FIFA.
"This is going to price out many of our fans," the Association of Tartan Army Clubs (ATAC) said in a statement. "FIFA have killed the dream of our young fans, desperate to get to a World Cup.
"The SFA must stand up to FIFA, together with other associations, to get FIFA to halt this sale and reconsider the prices for our supporters."
In another altruistic move, FIFA said “In line with FIFA’s objective of promoting football’s unifying values, the FIFA Council approved the establishment of a post-conflict recovery fund.
“This follows the announcement made by President Infantino at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace on Oct. 13, 2025 that FIFA intended to create a support mechanism for regions that have experienced conflict.
"This financial instrument, which will be open to third-party contributions and be subject to strict oversight, will complement action already implemented under the FIFA Forward Program and other FIFA initiatives."
Days after the Final World Cup ’26 Draw and the release of match schedule, venues, and kick-off times for all 104 games — and amidst being handed a red card by groups worldwide for ticket prices — FIFA said that people from more than 200 countries and territories “wasted no time, submitting five million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of the Random Selection Draw.”
The first 48-team tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S., June 11 July 19, 2026.
After 24 hours, the three host nations lead the way in ticket requests, with the Top Ten countries of residence for ticket requests also including Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama.
According to FIFA, “The strong presence of South American neighbors Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina, as well as Central Americans from Panama, further demonstrates how the FIFA World Cup 2026 is capturing the imagination across the Americas.
“Scotland’s appearance in the top ten reflects fans’ excitement at seeing the team on the global stage again for the first time in 28 years, adding to the growing expectation that football will unite the world in North America in six months' time.”
Top match requests are led by a group-stage encounter featuring Colombia vs. Portugal (Hard Rock Stadium Miami, June 27).
Top matches during the Random Selection Draw period also include Brazil vs. Morocco (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, June 13), Mexico vs Korea Republic (Guadalajara, June 18), Ecuador vs. Germany (MetLife Stadium June 25), and Scotland vs. Brazil (Hard Rock Stadium June 24) r.
According to online ticket platform StubHub, “Following the 2026 World Cup final draw in Washington, DC, StubHub has seen strong fan engagement on its marketplace, surpassing demand for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“In a powerful demonstration of the event's global appeal, buyers across 94 countries turned to StubHub's global marketplace over the weekend following the draw to secure their place at next summer's tournament.
“Major international sporting events typically attract attention on our marketplace, and the 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most in-demand tournaments we have ever experienced,” Raj Beri, StubHub chief business officer, said via the company.
“Fans don't want to miss being part of history — whether they're following their national team across continents or planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip with their family. Our platform exists to give everyone access to these moments, not just the insiders. Seeing buyers from nearly 100 countries mobilize just hours after the draw confirms that the world is ready to witness history on the North American stage.”
According to StubHub, the Top 10 Teams (by demand over the weekend following the draw) were
1. Portugal
2. Colombia
3. Brazil
4. England
5. Scotland
6. United States
7. Haiti
8. Ecuador
9. France
10. Morocco
The Top Five Venues (by sales volume over the Weekend):
1. MetLife Stadium (New Jersey)
2. Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
3. Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
4. AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)
5. SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles)
Fox Sports, America’s exclusive English-language home for the FIFA Men’s World Cup 26, will air all 104 matches live, including 69 on Fox and 35 on FS1, with every match live-streaming on Fox One and the FoxSports App.
NBCUniversal’s Telemundo is the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 2026,
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