FIFA expands financial distribution for 2026 World Cup
The FIFA Council has approved a 15 percent increase in financial distribution for all 48 participating teams at the 2026 World Cup, bringing the total to 871 million U.S. dollars, FIFA announced on Wednesday.
The preparation fund has been raised from 1.5 million to 2.5 million U.S. dollars, while the qualification fund has increased from 9 million to 10 million, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In addition, team-related contributions, including subsidies for delegation costs and ticket allocations, have been increased to more than 16 million U.S. dollars.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way. This is one more example of how FIFA’s resources are reinvested back into the game.”
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The Council also approved changes to FIFA governance regulations to allow the Afghan women’s refugee team to participate in official FIFA competitions. Infantino highlighted the initiative linked to Afghan Women United, saying it aims to provide opportunities for refugee and otherwise unregistered teams in coordination with relevant confederations.
In addition, amendments were confirmed to the 2026 World Cup regulations in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Under the new rule, single yellow cards will be wiped after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals.
The meeting also 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 beginning on April 30, 2026.
By Nijat Babayev
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