Qatar World Cup to pay $42 million to the champion

The winner of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will receive 42 million U.S. dollars in prize money along with the trophy. The amount, up 4 million dollars from the Russia World Cup four years ago, is the largest in the event’s history. The champion’s prize money has jumped more than five times from 8 million dollars at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan and more than 10 times from 4 million dollars at the 1994 World Cup in the U.S.

FIFA will make a total of 440 million dollars in payouts, including prize money and participation allowances to the 32 countries that have advanced to the World Cup finals in Qatar. The amount has increased 10 percent from 400 million dollars four years ago in Russia. Sixteen countries that fail to pass the group league will receive 9 million dollars each. Apart from the prize money, the teams will be paid 1.5 million dollars each in allowance for their advance to the World Cup finals.

FIFA can make such ‘lavish payments’ of prize money and participation allowances because the World Cup events have generated massive amounts of revenue, including the sale of broadcast rights and advertisements. FIFA earned a total of 5.5 billion dollars through the Russian World Cup four years ago. The organization earns far more money than its prize money and allowance payouts.


hun@donga.com