In addition to adding a second star to their jersey, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) netted a massive $51 million in prize money following La Roja’s 2026 World Cup victory over Argentina.
By contrast, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) received $34 million as runners-up, leaving a $17 million difference between the champions and the finalists.
These payouts are part of a record-breaking $871 million total prize pool allocated by FIFA for the 48 participating nations—a 15% increase driven by the immense commercial success of the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The financial package guaranteed each participating nation $2.5 million to cover preparation costs, alongside a raised minimum participation fee of $10 million. Additionally, over $16 million was set aside for delegation support and expanded ticket allocations.
FIFA also covered round-trip business class travel, lodging, and full board expenses for 50-person delegations per federation, accommodating the extensive travel required during this first-ever 48-team, 104-match tournament.
This historic prize money coincides with an unprecedented financial boom for FIFA, which raised its revenue target for the 2023–2026 cycle to $13 billion—up from roughly $7.57 billion in the previous cycle—with nearly 90% expected to be reinvested into global football development.
While the $13 billion revenue figure does not reflect net profit (as final audited financial reports are pending), it officially cements the 2026 World Cup as the largest, most expensive, and most lucrative tournament in football history.
