The jackpot keeps getting bigger for the biggest football tournament of them all.
The FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world, so naturally, this means there is a considerable amount of prize money to be won.
The tournament kicks off in Qatar on 20 November and runs until 18 December. The final takes place a week before Christmas, in Doha.
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While the main focus for the players competing is bringing the coveted FIFA World Cup Trophy (as it is officially known) back to their country, there is also a large monetary incentive for lifting the World Cup.
But exactly how much money is at stake? Read on to find out.
What is the total amount of prize money at the 2022 World Cup?
As listed in the 2020 FIFA annual report, the total prize money pot for the 2022 World Cup stands at a whopping $440 million (700 million AUD).
This is a noteworthy increase from the last tournament, as the total prize money for the 2018 World Cup in Russia was ‘just’ $400 million.
For the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the total prize pot stood at $358 million.
How much prize money does the winner of the 2022 World Cup receive?
As with the total prize money pot, the amount of money for the eventual winner of the tournament has also increased since 2018.
In 2022, FIFA confirmed that the winning country will receive $42 million (67 million AUD). That’s $4 million more than France received four years ago.
Over the last 40 years, the amount teams receive for lifting the World Cup trophy has continuously risen.
After the 2002 World Cup, there was a significant increase in total prize money awarded, as FIFA’s annual profits grew drastically. Even since 2006, the amount of money the winner of the World Cup receives has more than doubled.
Do the runners-up get any prize money at the 2022 World Cup?
It is not only the winners who benefit from the increase prize pot at the 2022 World Cup, as all 32 teams competing in Qatar will receive more money.
All 32 nations will receive $1.5 million before the competition even starts. This is to cover the teams’ preparation costs.
As the teams progress through the tournament, they stand to receive larger and larger sums of money, depending on where they finish (all figures listed below are in USD):
- Winner – $42 million
- Runners-up – $30 million
- Third Place – $27 million
- Fourth Place – $25 million
- 5th – 8th Place – $17 million
- 9th – 16th Place – $13 million
- 17th – 32nd Place – $9 million
Based on these figures, simply showing up to the World Cup will net you more than Brazil received for winning the tournament in 2002.
How much of the prize money will players get at the 2022 World Cup?
Usually, the prize money earned during the tournament is split between both the entire squad and other staff members. Some money also goes to charity and the National Football Association of that country.
However, there is no set ratio to decide how much each individual player receives. FIFA allows each team to decide this themselves.
In many cases, all the players included in the squad will be paid the same, even those that don’t get much game time. In 2022, the Australian national football team, affectionally known as the Socceroos, have announced that each player will receive $226,000 for their inclusion in the squad. They will also receive a bonus of $290,000 if they reach the knockout stages.
By comparison, German players are set to receive just shy of $50,000 (€50,000) if they clear the group stage at this year’s World Cup (perhaps an indication of the lack of confidence, following 2018’s shock first-round exit?). If they reach the last 8, this increases to just under $100,000 (€100,000). But, if they are victorious in the final, this will increase to $390,000.
Do the players’ clubs receive any of the 2022 World Cup prize money?
The World Cup means that the players will be away from their usual clubs for over one month in the middle of the season. Usually, the World Cup takes place in the European summer, when most clubs take a break. But, due to the intense heat of Qatar, the 2022 World Cup tournament has to take place during European winter.
Whilst the clubs do not receive prize money for the players’ absence, they are invited to apply for money from a $209 million fund set aside by FIFA. Clubs get paid a daily rate of $10,000 for as long as players are away on national team duty.
This deal will include more than 400 clubs worldwide, including teams in the A-League in Australia. During the 2018 World Cup, A-league clubs earned a combined sum of $1.53 million in compensation from FIFA.
How does the men’s World Cup prize money compare with the women’s?
The prize money for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is set to take place in Australia and New Zealand, between July and August, is significantly lower than the total prize pot set aside for the men.
The total prize pot for the 2023 Women’s World Cup is only $60 million, which when compared with the $440 million on offer in Qatar, is a staggering difference. However, whilst it is still such a large gap, the $60 million figure is still a substantial increase over the $30 million total given by FIFA for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
It may still increase further, as FIFA enters the final year of preparations.
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