UEFA lobbying FIFA to increase World Cup prize money amid cost concerns

UEFA, the European football governing body, is lobbying FIFA to increase World Cup prize money and overall financial support for federations whose national teams are competing in the men’s World Cup in North America this summer.

According to multiple sources familiar with the conversations, who wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, UEFA has been asked by several of the European member associations to raise the matter with FIFA, the global governing body and World Cup organizer.

Its president, Gianni Infantino, has frequently cited the highly lucrative revenue that this World Cup is forecasted to generate for FIFA, saying in February that he expected the competition to yield over $11 billion for his organisation.

FIFA has a stated target of returning at least 90 per cent of its budgeted investments for this World Cup cycle into soccer globally, but it is not yet clear to federations how exactly this will be distributed. In the meantime, the competing federations are aware of FIFA’s huge revenue and are seeking to secure a greater slice of the pie.

European associations, which run the national teams and the sport in their countries, are concerned that the substantial costs associated with the World Cup will eat into their ability to make significant money during the tournament, and may even cause them to lose money, with The Guardian first reporting these worries in February. Now, however, the matter is being escalated on behalf of concerned associations by UEFA, who did not wish to comment.

FIFA, which also declined to comment, is aware of these concerns and sources say the organisation is working on possible solutions with participating associations. The matter is due to be discussed behind closed doors at the upcoming annual FIFA Congress in Vancouver at the end of May.

FIFA is providing $1.5m in preparation costs for competing teams during the tournament. During the tournament, FIFA provide a daily allowance to assist with the costs of teams’ stays in five-star resorts, food and travel. At the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States last summer, this worked out at around $38,500 per day, or around $700 a head per day, for a travelling party of 55 people.

The provisions for international teams are a little more modest. The FIFA World Cup 2026 handbook outlines that FIFA is prepared to make a contribution towards the costs of board and lodging for up to 50 people from each participating association, starting five nights before each team’s opening game and up to one night following the date of the its elimination. FIFA also provides a contribution towards business-class flights for the 50-person delegation between venues and base camps in between games and the rental cost of a training site. FIFA also cover the costs incurred by match officials, doping control expenses, ground travel for teams, as well as equipment trucks and a fleet of luxury vehicles.

National associations, however, must absorb the costs of any of the aforementioned factors which go beyond a 50-person delegation, as well as insurance for members of its delegation. Many of the leading associations, from a financial and footballing perspective, will take delegations that significantly exceed 55 people once players, support staff, officials and invitees are included. Some nations have also selected training bases outside of the rates FIFA has negotiated and put forward in an official brochure, because these associations prefer the facilities or location of alternative options.

For associations, the costs can stretch far and wide, particularly for those which may seek to do pre-tournament camps in the U.S., while many also have lucrative bonus agreements with their players based on performance in the competition. Nations that are planning pre-World Cup training camps in the U.S. have encountered high costs, with one federation receiving quotes between $25,000 and $50,000 per day by a training facility, while the internal travel and accommodation are also particularly expensive in the U.S.

Visiting associations are concerned about the potential tax implications of their time in the U.S., with tax burdens differing significantly from state to state, meaning that the luck of the draw can influence a team’s tax owed during the competition. FIFA is providing information on tax considerations to associations whose teams have qualified for the tournament.

State taxes differ across the U.S., with California, which has two venues for the tournament, and New Jersey, the host of the final at MetLife Stadium, among the highest, while Florida and Texas do not have any. The U.S. does have tax treaties in place with a series of foreign countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and Portugal but concerns remain from European nations. One possible scenario is that FIFA could increase its financial support for associations whose teams are playing more often in higher-tax states.

Prize money from FIFA for this summer’s World Cup has already been increased by 50 per cent to $655m, up from $440m at the tournament in Qatar. However, this will be spread across 16 more teams, as the tournament has increased in size from 32 to 48 teams for the first time during this tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A significant percentage of this, however, is usually distributed to players as bonus payments, although it differs from nation to nation.

In 2022, winners Argentina received $42m and runners-up France $30m, while beaten quarter-finalists each received $17m and those who exited in the group stage received $9m.

This time, the winners will receive $50m and runners-up $33m, while beaten quarter-finalists will receive $19m and those who exit in the group stage will receive $9m, which, when added to the $1.5m in preparation costs, will mean every nation receives a minimum of $10.5m. While these are higher in many cases, several sources at national associations indicated that the length and location of the tournament mean more funding is required to support teams in maximizing the opportunity of the tournament, while some even warn of potential losses should they not advance into the final eight of the competition.

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