The Price of Glory: FIFA's Expanded Purse Raises More Questions than Answers The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a tournament like no other, with a record breaking combined payout of $871 million set to change the lives of participating teams.
This sum includes a staggering $51 million prize for the winner, which raises more questions about FIFA's priorities and the financial realities facing national federations.
To put this figure into perspective, it is roughly equivalent to the transfer fee paid by English club Brighton for 19 year old defender Luka Vušković, who spent most of the World Cup on the bench.