2026 World Cup to offer record prize money and financial incentives
via Le Matin2 min read
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is set to be the most profitable in football history, featuring 48 nations. FIFA has announced a record prize fund of 727 million dollars. The tournament is projected to generate over 11 billion dollars in commercial revenue during the current cycle. Each federation qualifying for the group stage will receive 9 million dollars, in addition to a 1.5 million dollar advance for preparation and logistics, totaling a guaranteed 10.5 million dollars per team. This redistribution aims to support emerging nations amidst rising costs in modern football. With an expanded schedule of 104 matches, up from 64, advertising and ticketing revenues are expected to surge, allowing FIFA to inject record liquidity into its 211 member associations. The World Cup is becoming a significant economic driver, stabilizing smaller federations while strengthening larger ones. The four semi-finalist nations will receive substantial prizes. The future world champion will earn a record 50 million dollars, an 8 million dollar increase from the 2022 World Cup. The finalist will receive 33 million dollars, while the third-place team gets 29 million dollars, and the fourth-place team 27 million dollars. These significant amounts reflect the commercial importance of the final stages and FIFA's commitment to its elite. For federations, these earnings enable massive investments in infrastructure and training. With performance bonuses alon
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Must ReadThe Atlas Lions will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign on Saturday with a highly anticipated match against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Coached by Mohamed Ouahbi, the team aims to demonstrate that their historic performance in the 2022 World Cup was not an isolated achievement.
A high-level meeting held in Rabat on June 11, on the International Day of Family Remittances, focused on transforming remittances from Moroccans living abroad into economic development tools, particularly for rural areas. Remittances to Morocco reached over 122 billion dirhams in 2025, nearly 8% of the national GDP, demonstrating remarkable resilience amidst global economic and climatic uncertainties. Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD, emphasized shifting the perception of remittances from mere lifelines to pathways for savings, investment, entrepreneurship, and prosperity, especially in rural zones. Abderrahim Bouazza, Director General of Bank Al-Maghrib, highlighted the vulnerabilities of rural areas due to climate change, natural resource pressures, food security imperatives, and economic fragilities. He stressed the need to strengthen connections between remittances and formal financial tools like savings, credit, insurance, and digital financial services to channel these funds into productive capital. Redouane Arrach, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted that remittances contribute to social cohesion and rural development, with their value comparable to Morocco's annual agricultural added value. Charles Th茅paut, Minister Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission at the French Embassy in Morocco, underscored the human and economic depth of these transfers, with France being the primary
Must ReadMorocco's Atlas Lions begin their 2026 World Cup campaign with a high-stakes match against Brazil. The team, semi-finalists in the last World Cup, aims to prove their previous success was not a fluke. National coach Mohamed Ouahbi has focused on strengthening the team's winning culture, emphasizing respect for Brazil without fear. However, Morocco faces significant injury challenges, with Nayef Aguerd out due to persistent pubalgia, forcing a new central defense pairing likely involving Issa Diop and Chadi Riad. Abde Ezzalzouli is also absent due to a moderate knee ligament sprain, impacting the team's attacking options and set-piece expertise. Captain Achraf Hakimi is tasked with containing Vinicius Junior and initiating quick transitions to Brahim Diaz and Azzedine Ounahi, who will supply Ismael Saibari. Morocco draws confidence from a 2-1 friendly victory against Brazil in 2023. Brazil, led by Carlo Ancelotti, enters as a favorite with a strong offensive lineup, featuring the speed of Vinicius Junior and Raphinha on the wings, and a solid midfield pivot of Casemiro and Bruno Guimar茫es. Brazil's potential weakness lies in the probable absence of Neymar due to a calf injury, which would reduce their creative options. Full-backs Douglas and Danilo have also shown vulnerabilities against deep defensive blocks, an area where Brahim Diaz could exploit. The key for Brazil will be maintaining composure against Morocco's compact and disciplined defense.