FULL LIST: How 32 Teams Split Prize Money at Qatar 2022 World Cup
The prize money for participating teams at the Qatar 2022 World Cup which just ended was a whopping total of $440 million.
The 2022 tournament featured 32 teams from various countries across the globe. 13 countries from Europe, five African teams, four North American countries, four countries from South America and six countries from Asia.
The teams that exited the World Cup at the group stage – Qatar, Ecuador, Wales, Iran, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Tunisia, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Costa Rica, Serbia, Cameroon, Ghana, Uruguay – all earned $9 million each
The teams that made it through to the round of 16 – USA, Senegal, Australia, Poland, Spain, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea – all earned $13 million each
While those that reached the quarter-finals -Brazil, Netherlands, Portugal, England – earned $17 million each.
Fourth place team Morocco, earned $25 million. Third-placed team Croatia earned $27 million
The runner-up, France earned $30 million, while Argentina, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner got $42 million.
This is an increase of $40m compared to the 2018 tournament.
Prior to 2006, World Cup-winning teams never pocketed more than $10m, with 1982 champions Italy walking away with an estimated $2.2m for their efforts.
In 2002, there was a big push from national teams for FIFA to increase the prize money on offer. Below are the prize monies won since 1982 up until 2022;
READ MORE: Morocco Semifinals Record at World Cup Qatar 2022: Lessons for African Football
The tournament officially ended on Sunday December 18, 2022, as holders France lost to a Lionel Messi led Argentina in a cracker which ended with a penalty shoot out.
It was Messi’s first World cup win having played in four other edition of the glamorous mundial and most likely just played his last at Qatar 2022.
He had played in 2018, 2014, 2010, 2006 and now the 2022.
Lionel Messi is one of only six men to have played in five World Cups alongside Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus, Rafa Marquez, Andres Guardado and Cristiano Ronaldo. Lionel Messi has made 26 World Cup appearances – breaking the record held by Lothar Matthaus with 25 appearances.
