VANCOUVER, CANADA – APRIL 28: Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, presents Vittorio Montagliani, Vice President of FIFA and President of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), with a gift at the 36th FIFA Council Meeting at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel on April 26, 26 in Vancouver. (Photo by Verity Griffin – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Verity Griffin – Fifa | FIFA | Getty Images
FIFA has increased payments to teams competing in the 2026 World Cup, raising the amount distributed to $871 million, making it the most lucrative program in history.
But the increased distribution of funds, announced last Wednesday at the 36th FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, Canada, comes as the governing body faces criticism over ticket prices and its commercial dealings.
Under the new funding framework, the organizations participating in the 2026 World Cup – which will be held across the US, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 – will each receive an additional $2 million, across:
That brings each team’s minimum payout to at least $12.5 million if they win, with additional prize money tied to tournament performance.
These payments are designed to cover some of the costs associated with qualifying and preparing for the annual sports tournament, including travel, training facilities and staff salaries and are expected to be meaningful especially for teams outside of the sport, according to Ricardo Fort, founder of the sports organization Fort Consulting.
“This increased contribution to national football organizations reinforces FIFA’s role in redistributing the commercial success of the tournament back into the global football system,” said Fort.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup is expected to be the biggest ever, expanding to 48 teams, up from 32 in 2022. Four national teams – Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan – will play for the first time this year.
FIFA said that more than $16 million has also been set aside to cover the expenses of participating delegations and the distribution of team tickets, bringing the total set aside for participating teams to $871 million.
Earlier, the governing body of football announced that it will increase by more than 50 percent the prizes of this competition in December.
In December, the FIFA Council approved a “record” prize pool of $727 million for the 2026 edition of the tournament, a 65% increase from the $440 million allocated to teams for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ticket price issues
Despite the high payouts at this year’s tournament, fans have voiced complaints about ticket prices and FIFA’s funding sources.
Under FIFA’s new “flexible” pricing system, ticket prices fluctuate on demand. Some fans have reported that ticket prices have increased more than tenfold for the 2022 tournament.
A CNBC review of ticket prices revealed prices ranging from $380 for a Section 2 ticket for the group stage match between Curaçao and Côte d’Ivoire in Philadelphia, to $4,105 for Section 1 tickets for the match between the US and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium.
On FIFA’s official ticket resale platform, some listings have reached extreme levels, with one such resale ticket last listed at $11.5 million. Although FIFA does not regulate resale ticket prices, a fee of 15% of the value of each transaction is collected.
A FIFA spokesperson told CNBC that the organization is “focused on making sure our game reaches the right audience for existing and future fans, and offers group stage tickets starting at $60.”
These low-cost tickets, however, are allocated “primarily to supporters of eligible teams, through a selection and distribution process managed by other Participating Member Associations.”
The spokesperson added that the flexible pricing system is “in line with industry trends in the various sports and entertainment sectors,” and ensures “fair market value for events.”
Despite the outrageous ticket prices, demand for tickets to this year’s World Cup is still high.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino previously told CNBC that the organization received an estimated 508 million requests for the seven million tickets available for the tournament’s 104 matches.
If true, in-person viewing at this year’s World Cup could dwarf attendance for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, which drew more than 3.4 million viewers across 64 games.
“Ticket prices are always a sensitive topic at major events of this scale,” said Fort. “There will always be sections of fans who feel important, especially in premium sports.”
Still, he said FIFA’s pricing strategy “has worked in the American market,” given the high demand.
Fans seem to have ignored other FIFA controversies, including the deal to support Saudi Arabia’s Aramco and the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump.
“Historically, what we’ve seen is that fan engagement with the tournament itself remains incredibly strong. When the tournament starts, the focus is immediately on football,” said Fort.
FIFA’s finances have also grown in line with the competition. By 2025, the governing body’s revenue reached $2.66 billion, with television broadcasting rights accounting for the largest share, followed by marketing rights.
Its total assets rose to $9.48 billion, up 54% from last year. The total reserves, however, fell to about $2.7 billion, down 8% year-over-year as total debt is set to double by 2025.
Legally non-profit, FIFA invests in infrastructure in all its 211 member countries, as well as the organization of competitions such as the World Cup and the Club World Cup, according to the Organization’s budget for 2027-2030.
