Ghana will earn a minimum of US$10.5m for qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following FIFA’s approval of a record-breaking US$727 million financial package for the expanded tournament.
The decision, taken by the FIFA Council, represents a 50 percent increase on the prize money distributed at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and reflects the scale of the 48-team competition to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Under the approved structure, US$655 million will be distributed as performance-based prize money to the Participating Member Associations (PMAs).
Teams finishing between 33rd and 48th place will each receive US$9 million, while those ranked 17th to 32nd will earn US$11 million.
In addition, every qualified team will receive a further US$1.5 million from FIFA to support preparation costs ahead of the tournament. This guarantees a baseline earning of US$10.5 million for each nation that qualifies, regardless of how far they progress at the finals.
At the top end of the scale, the World Cup champions will earn US$50 million, with runners-up receiving US$33 million.
Teams finishing third and fourth will take home US$29 million and US$27 million respectively, while those reaching the quarter-finals (5th–8th) will earn US$19 million each, and round-of-16 teams (9th–16th) will pocket US$15 million.
The expanded financial model underlines FIFA’s stated commitment to redistributing World Cup revenues more widely, particularly as the tournament grows in size and global reach.
For Ghana, the message is clear: qualification for the 2026 World Cup is not only a sporting objective, but also a major economic opportunity—one worth at least US$10.5 million before a ball is kicked.
