FIFA has approved a 15 percent increase in financial distribution for all 48 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, underscoring the organization’s strong financial position and expanded support for member associations.
The tournament, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will see a significant boost in payments across multiple categories.
Preparation funding for participating national teams has been increased from $1.5 million to $2.5 million, while qualification compensation will rise from $9 million to $10 million. Additional support, including contributions toward team delegation expenses and increased ticket allocations, will exceed $16 million.
FIFA also confirmed that additional revenues generated from the tournament will be distributed among all 211 member federations, reinforcing its broader commitment to global football development.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our Member Associations in an unprecedented way. This is one more example of how FIFA’s resources are reinvested back into the game.”
Beyond financial decisions, the FIFA Council approved a series of regulatory and competition updates. Notably, it amended its governance regulations to allow the Afghan Women’s Refugee Team to participate in official FIFA competitions, building on its debut at FIFA Unites – Women’s Series 2025.
The council also introduced changes to the 2026 World Cup rules, confirming that single yellow cards will be reset after the group stage and again after the quarter-finals, a move aimed at ensuring key players remain available during decisive matches.
Looking ahead, Armenia and Georgia have been selected to co-host the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029, while the United States, specifically Miami, will host the final phase of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
FIFA also confirmed that the U-17 World Cup 2026 in Qatar will run from November 19 to December 13, alongside updates to the international match calendar, including major continental tournaments scheduled across 2027.
Additionally, the organization announced that the next FIFA presidential election for the 2027–2031 term will take place at the 77th FIFA Congress in 2027, with the electoral process beginning on April 30, 2026.
The increased financial distribution reflects FIFA’s growing commercial strength and its push to reinvest revenue in the global game, particularly as the World Cup expands to 48 teams for the first time.
With inputs from WAM
