-
Jeff Kassouf
Multiple Authors
The United States men’s soccer team brought in $16 million in prize money from FIFA after reaching the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium.
This prize money will be shared equally among the 26 male players on the U.S. roster and the 26 women selected for the upcoming U.S. roster for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, assuming the Americans qualify.
Under the collective bargaining agreements ratified by U.S. Soccer in 2022, men’s and women’s players split World Cup prize money evenly. These agreements followed nearly six years of advocacy and legal battles by the women’s national team for equal pay.
According to the CBAs, U.S. Soccer retains 20% of the prize money from each World Cup, distributing the remaining 80% equally between the men’s and women’s teams that are part of their respective World Cup rosters. This means each team would receive roughly $6.4 million, translating to $246,153.85 per player.
The same distribution of prize money will apply to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, pending specific conditions.
First, the U.S. women’s team must secure qualification for the 2027 World Cup, which they can achieve by defeating El Salvador in a crucial Concacaf quarterfinal on Nov. 27.
Secondly, the per-player payout is expected to increase slightly, assuming the women qualify.
The agreements stipulate that U.S. Soccer must disburse the men’s players’ prize money within 31 days of receiving funds from FIFA.
As the U.S. women still have to qualify, and their roster won’t be finalized until next spring, the $6.4 million meant for the women’s players will be placed in an interest-bearing account as outlined by the CBAs.
The interest earned on these funds will be equally distributed among the 52 World Cup players (26 men this year, 26 women next year), similar to the prize money that the U.S. women earn in 2027. U.S. Soccer is required to make these payments within 31 days of receipt from FIFA for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The total prize money for the 2027 Women’s World Cup has yet to be finalized.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously expressed a commitment to equalizing the prize money for men and women by the 2027 World Cup. These remarks were made prior to a significant increase in prize money for this year’s men’s tournament, which saw a nearly twofold rise compared to four years prior, although the number of participating teams also grew from 32 to 48.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup offered $110 million in total prize money, up from $30 million in 2019.
This overview only addresses FIFA prize money.
Both the men’s and women’s players receive a payment of $10,000 from U.S. Soccer for each World Cup match played, regardless of the outcome.
If the U.S. men had triumphed over Belgium and advanced to the quarterfinals, they would have earned $20 million in prize money, leaving $8 million for each national team.
The U.S. men last reached the quarterfinals in 2002.
The U.S. women faced elimination in the round of 16 for the first time in 2023, having previously finished in the top three in all prior World Cups. Their 2023 World Cup result granted them $1.87 million in FIFA prize funds.
Having secured four World Cup titles, the U.S. women’s team achieved back-to-back victories in 2015 and 2019, amid their six-year legal struggle for equitable treatment from the federation.
Prize money for each team in the 2026 Men’s World Cup was increased compared to earlier projections, as confirmed by a FIFA spokesperson to ESPN. Additional funding was detailed in April after the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, although precise figures for the updated prize money were not specified initially.
ESPN has confirmed the revised prize totals for the 2026 Men’s World Cup:
Winners: $51 million
Runners-up: $34 million
3rd place: $30 million
4th place: $28 million
5th-8th place: $20 million
9th-16th place: $16 million
17th-32nd place: $12 million
33rd-48th place: $10 million
Report contributed by ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle.