Record prize pool from FIFA for the World Cup: How much will Turkey receive?

The Turkish National Football Team faced Kosovo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers play-off round. With a goal scored by Kerem Aktürkoğlu, the Crescent-Stars defeated their opponent 1-0, successfully securing a World Cup ticket after a 24-year wait. This achievement is notable not only for its sporting significance but also for its economic returns.

FIFA has implemented a significant increase in the prize money for the tournament to be held in 2026. The total amount to be distributed to teams in the tournament is 727 million dollars, representing a 50 percent increase in the prize pool compared to the previous event.

The new distribution of prize money to be awarded at the 2026 World Cup is as follows:

- 50 million dollars to the champion team

- 33 million dollars to the runner-up

- 29 million dollars to the third-place team

- 27 million dollars to the fourth-place team

- 19 million dollars to countries ranked 5th to 8th

- 15 million dollars to those ranked between 9th and 16th

- 11 million dollars to teams ranked from 17th to 32nd

- 9 million dollars to those ranked between 33rd and 48th

On the other hand, every country participating in the World Cup will also receive an additional 1.5 million dollars in preparation support. In this case, since Turkey has qualified to compete in the tournament, it will earn a total of 10.5 million dollars including the participation fee. If the Crescent-Stars perform well in the tournament, the amount entering their coffers will increase further based on the results.

News Source: 12punto