FIFA is set to increase financial contributions to all 48 teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup and raise development funding for its 211 member associations, with proposals due for approval at a Council meeting in Vancouver on 28 April, ahead of the Congress on 30 April. The move follows discussions with national associations over rising operational costs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, where the tournament will run from 11 June to 19 July.
UEFA contacted FIFA after several of its member associations raised concerns about travel, operations and taxes, particularly in the United States. The European intervention pushed FIFA to revisit team payments before the Congress rather than after.
FIFA expects the 2026 tournament to generate more than $11 billion in revenue. The governing body announced a record $727 million prize fund in December, with $50 million allocated to the winners and at least $10.5 million guaranteed for each qualified team. European associations argued that these figures do not reflect the cost of operating across three host countries for six weeks.
The existing prize fund represents roughly 6.6 per cent of projected income, lower than previous tournaments held in a single country. That gap between revenue and distribution has driven the current review.
The review also coincides with internal cost reductions. FIFA has cut more than $100 million from World Cup operational departments, according to The Athletic, a move that has already affected planning in several United States host cities. Only Houston and Philadelphia have retained their original plans for a 39-day fan festival, while others have reduced their programmes.
“Ahead of a FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, Canada, on 28 April 2026, FIFA can confirm it is in discussions with associations around the world to increase available revenues,” a FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic. The statement confirms intent but does not define the scale or structure of the increase.
“This includes a proposed increase of financial contributions to all qualified teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and of development funding available to all 211 member associations,” the spokesperson added. The wording allows FIFA to adjust both prize money and participation payments, and pairing the increase with development funding extends the benefit to associations that will vote at the Congress on 30 April.
