England's bronze triumph adds $2 million to record World Cup payout

England secured the bronze medal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, beating France 6‑4 in a wild encounter that added an extra $2 million to its earnings and brought the third‑place prize to $29 million. The victory confirmed England’s place on the podium and marked a record payout for the tournament. FIFA announced in December that the 2026 tournament is the largest ever staged, featuring a $655 million prize pool. The pool is distributed among the 48 participating nations, ranging from $9 million for the lowest‑ranked teams to $50 million for the champions. The tiered structure allocates $50 million to the champions, $33 million to the runners‑up, $29 million to third place and $27 million to fourth place. England entered the third‑place playoff with the third‑place prize of $29 million at stake. A victory would add an extra $2 million to its earnings, raising the total payout for the bronze medal to $29 million. Their opponent, France, stood to secure the fourth‑place reward of $27 million.

England assistant coach Barry emotional but proud after consolation final win over France

England defeated France 6‑4 on Saturday in a wild encounter that saw both sides trade goals throughout the match. The high‑scoring affair secured England’s podium finish and the accompanying financial reward. The extra $2 million boosted England’s total earnings from the tournament. The victory finalized England’s third‑place finish and confirmed France’s fourth‑place status. Sunday’s final will pit Spain against defending champion Argentina, with $50 million for the winner and $33 million for the runner‑up. All 48 teams also received $1.5 million for preparation costs.

One more all‑out effort: England and France battle for bronze

Teams finishing 5th‑8th receive $19 million, 9th‑16th $15 million, 17th‑32nd $11 million and 33rd‑48th $9 million. The record payout highlights FIFA’s growth since 1982, when Italy collected $2.2 million as champions, compared with $38 million for France in 2018 and $42 million for Argentina in 2022. The United States men’s team earned $16 million for reaching the Round of 16. Under the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, 80 percent of that sum is shared with the U.S. women’s team, giving each player $246,153.85, while the remaining 20 percent stays with U.S. Soccer.