By Julien Pretot
VANCOUVER, April 29 (Reuters) - FIFA will increase payments to teams taking part in the 2026 World Cup to almost $900 million, world soccer's governing body said on Tuesday, citing the commercial success of its expanded flagship men's tournament.
The FIFA Council, meeting in Vancouver ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress, approved a 15% increase in the resources to be distributed to all 48 participating member associations at next year's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The total pot will rise to $871 million, FIFA said, with each participating team receiving increased preparation money of $2.5 million, up from $1.5 million.
Qualification money will also increase from $9 million to $10 million, while FIFA said additional team contributions would include subsidies for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations totalling more than $16 million.
"FIFA is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our Member Associations in an unprecedented way," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
"This is one more example of how FIFA's resources are reinvested back into the game."
The sheer scale of staging a tournament across North America, with long-haul travel, differing tax regimes and significant operational demands, had prompted unease among some participating nations.
UEFA had passed on concerns from several European associations that teams could find it difficult to break even unless they progress deep into the competition.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition of the men's tournament to feature 48 teams, up from 32, and will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The increased distribution comes as FIFA prepares for the biggest and most commercially lucrative World Cup in history, with more teams, more matches and expanded revenue opportunities across ticketing, sponsorship and broadcast rights.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Stephen Coates)
