Hold onto your wallets,FIFA has just dropped a bombshell: the winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will walk away with a jaw-dropping $50 million, smashing all previous records. That’s right, the world’s most-watched football tournament is now officially a cash bonanza, with the prize money soaring past the $42 million handed out in 2022 and the $38 million in 2018. Clearly, football is big business, and FIFA is cashing in like never before.

The 2026 World Cup, set to be the biggest ever with 48 teams and hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is all about bigger, better, and richer. FIFA has announced a total prize pool of $655 million,a staggering 50% jump from the last tournament in Qatar. The message is clear: FIFA wants the world to know it’s not just about the game, it’s about the money, and lots of it.

But here’s the kicker: even with this record payout, the World Cup winner’s prize is still less than half of what was up for grabs at the new-look FIFA Club World Cup. That tournament, also in the U.S., boasted a $1 billion prize fund, with Chelsea pocketing up to $125 million. Sure, the Club World Cup had its critics,players and leagues complained, and some matches played to empty seats,but the cash was real, and the stakes were sky-high. Still, the World Cup remains the ultimate stage, with national pride and global bragging rights on the line.

FIFA says the different prize structures are all about the “unique financial realities” of clubs versus national teams. Translation: clubs pay more for players, so they get more cash. But let’s be honest, it’s all about who can throw the most money around and grab the headlines.

Of course, FIFA is quick to remind everyone that it’s not just about the winners. The organization claims it’s investing in the “global football community,” with President Gianni Infantino calling the 2026 tournament “groundbreaking” for its financial impact. Every stage of the tournament has its own payout, and FIFA’s council in Doha has rubber-stamped the breakdown to make sure everyone gets a piece of the pie.

Here’s how the money shakes out: the runner-up gets $33 million, third place takes $29 million, and fourth place gets $27 million. Even the teams that crash out in the group stage will pocket $9 million each, plus a $1.5 million “preparation” bonus just for showing up. In total, FIFA is set to hand out a whopping $727 million to the federations of all participating countries. How that money gets split up? That’s anyone’s guess,some players, like France’s squad in 2022, were reportedly in line for personal bonuses of nearly $600,000 each.

At the end of the day, the 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be less about the beautiful game and more about the beautiful payday. With more teams, more money, and more hype than ever, the race for football’s biggest jackpot is officially on. Let the money games begin.