The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to begin on 11th June 2026 and play until 27th June 2026. The last day of the group stages matches is the day the knockouts will start on 29th June. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is the venue for the final, which is on 19th July 2026. Eventually, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Prize Money is set to increase compared to last year.
This time, the FIFA World Cup will be played in three nations: Mexico, Canada, and the United States. A total of sixteen stadiums across sixteen different cities will feature all the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Some of the famous stadiums to host the matches are MetLife Stadium (New Jersey), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), and AT&T Stadium (Dallas).
Lionel Messi’s Argentina are the defending champions. They defeated France in the final, which was probably one of the best finals in the history of the competition. Lionel Messi had faced a lot of heartbreak before, but after almost 18 years, he fulfilled his dream and completed football by winning every possible trophy he competed for.
FIFA World Cup 2026: What Is the Prize Money for the Winners?
When we look at the prize money of the previous edition, which was held in Qatar, the amount was US$440m. It was the highest prize money in all the FIFA World Cups. Argentina, the World Cup winners, took the maximum amount as they won the competition.
This edition of the FIFA World Cup will surely see a lot more hike in the total prize money. The main reason is that the number of teams participating has increased from 32 to 48. The FIFA World Cup is already one of the most-viewed competitions across the world. This increase in the number of teams will also add more to the viewership factor.
The other main reason for the increase in viewership will be that players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luka Modric, and Robert Lewandowski will feature in their last FIFA World Cup. FIFA hasn’t confirmed the exact amount as of today, but we will surely see a huge increase.
When we are closer to the date, we will get the clarification of the exact prize money breakdown stage by stage for each team.
