On November 20, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will begin. The massive competition will feature 32 nations competing for the grand prize. The amount of money involved is enormous since it is the largest single sports quadrennial event in the world.
FIFA, the world’s governing body of sport, has set aside $440 million for the Qatar World Cup, the marquee event’s 22nd edition. This is an increase of $40 million from the previous year. $358 million was up for grabs during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Aside from the winning team, each of the competing teams gets something for reaching the finals.
Here is the prize money breakdown for the 2022 World Cup:
| Standing | Prize money | Prize money in INR |
| WINNER | $42 MILLION | INR 344 CRORES |
| RUNNER-UP | $30 MILLION | INR 245 CRORES |
| 3RD PLACE | $27 MILLION | INR 220 CRORES |
| 4TH PLACE | $25 MILLION | INR 204 CRORES |
| 5TH-8TH PLACE | $17 MILLION | INR 138 CRORES |
| 9TH-16TH PLACE | $13 MILLION | INR 106 CRORES |
| 17TH-32ND PLACE | $9 MILLION | INR 74 CRORES |
In the 2018 World Cup, France won with $38 million, and Croatia finished in second place with $28 million.
The winning team never collected more than $10 million prior to the 2006 World Cup, with 1982 champion Italy taking home an estimated $2.2 million.
The prize money for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, however, is double that of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France and is set at $60 million.
According to rumors, FIFA may decide to increase the prize money even more, bringing the total up to $100 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The following graph shows the prize money awarded to winning teams since the 1982 World Cup:
| EDITION | AMOUNT | Prize money in INR |
| 1982 FIFA World Cup | $2.2 MILLION | INR 17.97 CRORES |
| 1986 FIFA World Cup | $2.8 MILLION | INR 22.87 CRORES |
| 1990 FIFA World Cup | $3.5 MILLION | INR 28.50 CRORES |
| 1994 FIFA World Cup | $4 MILLION | INR 32.67 CRORES |
| 1998 FIFA World Cup | $6 MILLION | INR 49.0 CRORES |
| 2002 FIFA World Cup | $8 MILLION | INR 65.3 CRORES |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup | $20 MILLION | INR 163.37 CRORES |
| 2010 FIFA World Cup | $30 MILLION | INR 245.0 CRORES |
| 2014 FIFA World Cup | $35 MILLION | INR 285.59 CRORES |
What is the difference between the World Cup 2022 prize money and the Women’s World Cup 2023?
The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will provide a total prize pool of $60 million, according to FIFA.
The prize money for the Qatar 2022 Men’s World Cup is therefore more than seven times the amount provided for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.