IFA has confirmed it is in talks with national football associations to raise prize money and financial support for all 48 teams set to participate in the 2026 World Cup.
The move follows requests from several European nations for increased funding to help cover expenses linked to taking part in the tournament, including travel, operational costs, and taxes, especially in the United States.
The proposal is expected to be discussed and approved at Tuesday’s FIFA Council meeting ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada.
In December, FIFA announced a record World Cup prize fund of $727 million, with the champions set to receive $50 million, while each participating team would earn at least $10.5 million.
However, since then, FIFA and member associations have continued discussions on improving the financial package.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, reportedly approached FIFA after hearing concerns from several member nations over the rising cost of participation. Canada and Mexico will co-host the tournament alongside the United States.
FIFA said the available prize money is now expected to rise further, with the organisation projected to generate more than $11 billion in revenue during the 2023 to 2026 financial cycle.
A FIFA spokesperson said discussions include increasing financial contributions to all qualified teams and expanding development funding for all 211 member associations worldwide.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be groundbreaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community, and FIFA is proud to be in its strongest ever financial position to benefit the global game through its FIFA Forward programme,” the spokesperson said.
Under the initial funding package, $655 million was allocated as performance-based rewards for the 48 competing nations, while each team was also entitled to $1.5 million for preparation costs.
FIFA’s 2025 annual report added that 93 percent of its projected revenue had already been secured by the end of 2025, boosted by the success of the first 32-team Club World Cup held in the United States last year.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
