The FIFA Council approved this decision on 28/4 during a meeting in Vancouver, Canada. This move directly addresses concerns from some federations, particularly in Europe, who argued that the previously announced prize money and preparation support structure could lead to financial losses if their teams did not advance deep into the tournament. Under the new structure, the basic support fund for each federation increases by 2 million USD, raising the minimum to 12,5 million USD. Additionally, preparation support costs have been raised from 1,5 million USD to 2,5 million USD, and each federation will receive an extra 1 million USD in basic prize money, totaling 10 million USD.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino officially unveils Trionda, the official match ball for the 2026 World Cup, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on 2/10/2025. *Photo: FIFA*

The overall prize fund for the tournament remains at 655 million USD, with the champion expected to receive 50 million USD. For comparison, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw champion Argentina receive 42 million USD from a total fund of 440 million USD for 32 teams. Beyond these increases, FIFA will allocate an extra 16 million USD to subsidize travel and accommodation costs for delegations. Each federation will also receive additional match tickets.

According to regulations, FIFA covers business-class round-trip airfares for teams, along with accommodation and meal costs for delegations of up to 50 people. This coverage starts five days before the first match and extends until one day after a team's elimination. The organization also manages domestic travel expenses and provides transportation, including vehicles for equipment. However, federations remain responsible for insurance, incidental hotel expenses, and costs for additional members beyond the official roster.

FIFA expects to generate at least 11 billion USD in revenue from the 2026 World Cup, which begins on 11/6 with an expanded format featuring 48 teams.

A welcome sign for guests at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel, one of the venues for the 76th FIFA Congress. *Photo: FIFA*

A notable development concerns the Iran Football Federation, whose representative was absent from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) meeting in Vancouver. This event brought together regional football leaders ahead of the 2026 World Cup. With FIFA President Gianni Infantino present, the AFC did not discuss Iran's World Cup participation or the possibility of relocating the team's matches from the US, amidst ongoing tensions between the two nations. Concerns had previously arisen that visa issues could affect the Iranian delegation's ability to travel to both meetings and the tournament itself.

The organizing committee did not specify whether visa issues caused Iran's representative's absence. When presenting souvenirs to the 9 Asian teams that qualified for the World Cup, the AFC stated that Iran's share would be presented once a representative from the country was present. Last week, an Iranian government spokesperson affirmed that the national team is preparing for a "successful and proud participation" in the World Cup in the US. FIFA has maintained Iran's match schedule, as announced in December 2025, and rejected proposals to move the team's matches to Mexico, despite fluctuating geopolitical circumstances.

At the 2026 World Cup, Iran is in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt. The team is expected to train in Tucson (Arizona) before playing their opening match against New Zealand on 15/6 in Inglewood (California). Subsequent matches are scheduled against Belgium on 21/6 and Egypt on 26/6.

Hong Duy (according to ESPN)