France and England are squaring off for third place at the 2026 World Cup, but don’t let that bronze medal fool you, there’s a serious $2 million extra on the line. The winner of Saturday’s bronze final is set to rake in a hefty $29 million in prize money, while the fourth-place finisher will only get $27 million. Talk about some high-stakes football!
Money Talks: The Biggest World Cup Ever Delivers The Biggest Payout
This isn’t just any World Cup, folks. This is the biggest one ever, with a whopping 48 teams taking part. FIFA announced in December that the prize pool is also the largest in tournament history, a mind-blowing $655 million being shared across all nations. Payouts range from a solid $9 million all the way up to a staggering $50 million for the champions. Spain or Argentina, whoever lifts that trophy on Sunday, is walking away with that massive $50 million check. The runner-up from that final will still snag a cool $33 million. Even the teams that didn’t make it deep are getting a piece of the pie; every single one of the 48 teams received $1.5 million just for preparation costs before the tournament even kicked off.
USMNT Cashes In, And History Shows Big Bucks
Our U.S. men’s team, after making it to the Round of 16, earned a respectable $16 million. That’s a good chunk of change, and get this: that prize money gets split with the U.S. women’s team. Thanks to the collective bargaining agreements from 2022 between U.S. Soccer and both teams, 80% of that money goes directly to the players who made the World Cup rosters. That’s a cool $246,153.85 per player! The remaining 20% goes to U.S. Soccer. While the women still need to qualify for their 2027 World Cup, it’s awesome to see that commitment. Other teams like Norway, Belgium, Morocco, and Switzerland all took home $19 million for finishing 5th-8th. Nations like Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Portugal, Canada, Egypt, and Paraguay grabbed $15 million for 9th-16th place. Even teams like the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and Australia, who finished 17th-32nd, earned $11 million, while those 33rd-48th place teams like Iran, South Korea, Scotland, and Uruguay still got $9 million each. The prize money evolution is wild too: World Cup winners Argentina got $42 million in 2022, and France took home $38 million in 2018. Back in 1982, Italy only received $2.2 million. What a jump!
So, all eyes are on Saturday’s bronze final between France and England. That extra $2 million is huge, and both teams are gonna battle hard for it. Then, of course, there’s Sunday’s grand finale, where one nation takes home the glory and that incredible $50 million champions’ check. You don’t want to miss a second of it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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