World Cup 2026 Prize Money, Complete Purse and Earnings Info for FIFA Tournament

For many of the world's best footballers, representing their home country as a member of a national team at the FIFA World Cup is an incredible point of pride.

It can also be quite lucrative.

The World Cup payouts often pale in comparison to the top association contracts—Cristiano Ronaldo signed a record two-year, $700 million deal just last summer. However, the compensation is still considerable for teams that advance deep in the tournament.

Here, you'll find a breakdown of the 2026 World Cup earnings, along with an early tournament preview.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Dates: June 11 - July 19

Field: 48 Teams

Host Countries: Canada, Mexico, United States

Opening Match: Mexico vs. South Africa

Opening Match Start Time: 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 11

TV: Fox Sports, Telemundo, TSN, TelevisaUnivision, and Azteca TV.

Live Stream: Fox One

*Complete World Cup schedule can be found here.

Prize Money and Earnings Info

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For the first time ever, the World Cup will feature a field of 48 teams. Unsurprisingly, tournament organizers have approved a record-breaking amount of prize money and preparation funds.

FIFA announced last December that each team would receive $1.5 million for preparation costs. The prize pool was then set at $655 million, with $50 million going to the winning team.

The World Cup runners-up will receive $33 million, while third and fourth place will earn $29 million and $27 million, respectively. Teams that reach the final eight will be guaranteed at least $19 million, while reaching the round of 16 will guarantee a team $15 million.

Every team in the tournament will receive a minimum of $9 million from the prize pool, while those advancing to the knockout stage will get at least $11 million.

This marks a significant increase over the $440 million awarded in 2022, even with the larger field considered. Argentina took home $44 million for winning in Qatar, while France earned $30 million for coming in second.

Tournament Favorites

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Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Victor Munoz of Spain

Spain +450 (bet $100 to win $450)

France +500

England +700

Portugal +800

Brazil +850

Argentina +1000

Germany +1300

Netherlands +1600

Belgium +2200

Norway +3300

*Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook

Tournament Preview

B/R

As previously mentioned, the World Cup field was increased to 48 teams for 2026. That's 16 more than the 32 teams that made up the tournament between 1998 and 2022.

The larger field means a new format, too. Previously, the top two teams in each group would advance to the knockout round, which was a field of 16 teams. Now, the top two teams in each group, along with the top eight third-place teams, will advance past the group stage.

During the group stage, each team will play three matches in a round-robin format (one against each of the other group members). Three points will be awarded for a victory, with one point being awarded for a draw and zero points for a match loss. Group rankings will be decided by point totals and tiebreakers such as goal differential and goals scored.

The knockout stage will begin with the round of 32, which is scheduled to begin on June 28.

More countries than ever before will get to experience the World Cup and that drama of the knockout round. However, only a handful of teams are considered legitimate contenders to win it all.

France has made the final in each of the past two tournaments, winning in 2018. Brazil is a regular contender and has won the most World Cups with five finals victories. Germany has earned four World Cup titles, its most recent coming in 2014.

Argentina is the reigning champion and tops the FIFA world rankings. However, Spain may be the top contender this year and topped Bleacher Report's World Cup power rankings in April.

"A squad that features a mixture of youthful brilliance and experienced talent is a perfect recipe for success," B/R's Leo Collis wrote. "The fact that one of those bright young stars is Lamine Yamal gives them an additional edge."

Regardless of which teams make it to the final and earn the big buck, this year's World Cup will be the biggest, and possibly the most exciting, ever.