Who wouldn’t want to know who the winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be? That’s impossible without a crystal ball. In reality, along with the champion team, there will be many winners.
That’s because every qualifying team receives millions of dollars, in addition to benefiting from the exceptional visibility the tournament brings. This is especially true for the host teams.
When everyone is concentrating on who will win the trophy, the financial aspect of the World Cup can be easy to overlook. But for the competing teams, just qualifying is a victory. The 2026 edition is offering record financial bonuses to qualifying teams, reflecting the scale of the expanded 48-team tournament.
As a full professor of accounting and taxation at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, I want to look at who the financial winners of the 2026 World Cup already are. I’ve published three detailed research notes on the questions of governance and finance with respect to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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The performance-based prize fund
The qualification process for the 2026 edition required the 48 participating teams to successfully navigate the selection stages within their respective confederations. The three host countries — Canada, Mexico and the United States — were automatically included.
These 48 nations can already be considered winners. The financial framework for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is divided into two distinct components: a performance-based prize fund of US$655 million and a non-performance-based financial support program of US$871 million.
Unlike the basic distribution program, which guarantees equal support to all teams, the prize fund introduces a merit-based incentive structure that rewards on-field performance and competitive results.
The performance-based prize fund totals US$655 million. The share earned increases as teams advance in the competition, ranging from US$9 million for a group stage elimination to US$50 million for the tournament champion.
This represents increase of approximately 50 per cent compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which totalled US$440 million, and the 2018 edition in Russia, which totalled US$400 million.
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The team distribution program
The US$871 million team distribution program consists of non-performance-based financial support and is distributed equally among the 48 associations participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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This program includes preparation funds, participation payments and a set of operational grants to cover accommodation, internal transportation, access to training sites, insurance and administrative support. The aim of this program is to ensure that all federations, particularly those with limited financial resources, can meet the logistical and operational requirements of the expanded tournament.
Given the commercial success of the men’s tournament, the FIFA Council decided on April 28 to increase the resources to be distributed to the 48 participating teams by 15 per cent, bringing the total to US$871 million. By standardizing base contributions of at least US$12.5 million per team, FIFA aims to promote financial parity and reduce resource disparities among participating nations.
The winners on the field
Not all competing teams start on equal footing. The initial ranking ahead of the World Cup distinguished the top-performing teams, particularly those with a history of success. Others are missing from the list — sometimes surprisingly so — revealing unexpected gaps in the hierarchy.
The FIFA/Coca-Cola Top 10 ahead of the 2026 World Cup was dominated by major European and South American nations.
France (No. 1) leads the rankings, followed by Spain (No. 2), Argentina (No. 3), England (No. 4), Portugal (No. 5), Brazil (No. 6), the Netherlands (No. 7), Morocco (No. 8), Belgium (No. 9) and Germany (No. 10).
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Several major absences marked the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Italy (No. 12) is the biggest surprise, missing out on a second consecutive World Cup. Denmark (No. 20) and Nigeria (No. 26) failed to live up to their ambitions. Ukraine (No. 32), Poland (No. 35), Wales (No. 37), Serbia (No. 39) and Hungary (No. 42) all disappointed despite their potential. Cameroon (No. 44), a regular at major tournaments, rounds out the list of unexpected eliminations.
Benefits for FIFA, countries and cities
The 2026 World Cup represents a massive source of revenue for FIFA, which expects to generate a profit of several billion American dollars in 2026. The tournament represents an exceptional economic opportunity for all three host nations.
The increase in the number of teams — from 32 in previous editions to 48 in 2026 — has brought a significant increase in the number of matches (from 64 in 2022 to 104 in 2026), visitors and investments.
Direct economic benefits include billions of dollars invested in infrastructure, transportation, security and public services, with indirect benefits for hospitality, food service, local commerce and temporary employment. For host cities, the event can also act as an accelerator for urban development and a catalyst for public-private partnerships.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Timothy Matwey
Around seven million seats have been made available across the 104 games. The tournament is attracting millions of international visitors and is breaking attendance records in the host cities.
Travellers are extending their stays to explore other regions, creating a ripple effect across the three countries. The cultural diversity of fans, along with the proliferation of side events, is boosting cities’ profiles and can foster more sustainable and diversified tourism.
Media coverage is just as significant. The World Cup is one of the most-watched events on the planet, with billions of viewers and massive coverage on television, in print media and on social media. This is providing significant visibility for host countries, their brands and their tourist destinations. This exposure is helping to put North America in the spotlight and position the host cities as international hubs capable of organizing large-scale events.
Several cities already have this reputation, notably Vancouver through the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 1986 World’s Fair, and Los Angeles as host of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
A good deal
The 2026 World Cup will produce several winners beyond just the sporting champion. Financially, teams will benefit from increased prize money, making this tournament the most lucrative in history.
On the sporting front, three nations already have a clear advantage: Canada (No. 30), Mexico (No. 15) and the United States (No. 16), which are automatically qualified as host countries. Their status as organizers not only guarantees their participation; it also ensures major economic, tourism and media benefits.
The biggest mystery remains who will be the ultimate championship winner. But one thing is certain: for FIFA, the qualifying teams and the host countries, the 2026 World Cup is already a victory in some respects. The less favourable aspects of the tournament are a whole other story.
