Zurich: Football's governing body, FIFA, announced a significant increase in financial distribution to all 48 World Cup teams, raising the funds by 15% for the upcoming tournament. This increase will benefit the national teams participating in the event hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
According to Emirates News Agency, the preparation money allocated to teams will rise from $1.5 million to $2.5 million. Additionally, qualification compensation will increase from $9 million to $10 million, while contributions toward team delegation expenses and increased ticket allotments will surpass $16 million. FIFA plans to distribute any remaining additional income among all 211 national federations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed that FIFA is in its most robust financial position ever, allowing unprecedented support for Member Associations. He emphasized that this financial boost is a reinvestment into the sport.
In other developments, the FIFA Council has approved several key amendments and appointments. The FIFA Governance Regulations were amended to permit the Afghan Women's Refugee Team's participation in official FIFA competitions. An update to the FIFA World Cup 2026 regulations was also confirmed, ensuring that single yellow cards will be cancelled after the group stage and subsequently, after the quarter-finals.
Furthermore, the FIFA Council appointed Armenia and Georgia as hosts for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029. The United States, specifically Miami, was chosen to host the final phase of the 2027 FIFA Women's Champions Cup, scheduled from 27th to 31st January next year. The regulations for the FIFA Women's Champions Cup were also approved.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 will be held in Qatar from 19th November to 13th December this year. Key dates for the Men's International Match Calendar were also set, including the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, Concacaf Gold Cup 2027, and CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027.
Lastly, it was confirmed that the FIFA presidential election for the 2027-2031 term will take place at the 77th FIFA Congress in 2027, with the electoral period commencing on 30th April 2026.