Fans furious as FIFA announce never-before-seen prize for every World Cup 2026 winner

FIFA has announced that the World Cup winners will receive a never-before-seen prize following Sunday’s final.

On July 19, Spain and Argentina will participate in the 24th World Cup final, with the latter looking to defend their crown after winning the tournament in Qatar back in 2022.

The fixture will take place at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, with over 80,000 fans, celebrities and even US President Trump set to attend the historic event, where he will hand the trophy to the winners.

Of course, the players will be solely focused on getting their hands on football’s biggest prize, while Lionel Messi will also be hoping to win the World Cup Golden Boot for the first time, despite holding the all-time goalscoring record for the most goals scored at World Cups, with 21.

The federation representing the winning nation will receive around £38 million in FIFA prize money, while the runners-up will pocket £24.5 million.

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The team that finishes third will receive £21.5 million, with the fourth-placed side receiving £20 million.

All 48 participating nations will receive a souvenir plaque, while the first, second and third-placed teams will each be presented with a diploma.

A FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented, with the member association receiving $50,000 (£37,000) to be used on a “football-related social development (CSR) campaign in the territory of the winning association”.

FIFA makes World Cup final announcement

Ahead of the final, FIFA has also announced that the first-ever championship rings will be presented to the victorious team following Sunday’s final.

Thirty rings will be handed out, while a further 1,996 will be made available to fans worldwide.

In a statement, FIFA said: “One side of the ring proudly features the FIFA World Cup trophy, while the other will be customised to reflect the identity of the winning team. Each ring will be individually numbered, custom-fitted and delivered with its own certificate of authenticity.

“Immediately after the final, the captain and head coach of the winning team will receive temporary rings to commemorate the occasion. Each of the 30 rings for the winners will then be customised before being officially presented at a later date, ensuring the perfect lifelong fit for an achievement that will echo through eternity.”

Fans were quick to offer their thoughts on the introduction of the rings on social media.

One said: “World Cup started in 1930, so FIFA waited 96 years to introduce championship rings. That alone shows how much this tournament is leaning into American sporting culture.”

Another added: “The Americanisation of this World Cup is so stupid. Half-time shows, rings, all of this. What a joke. Why are they pandering to Americans who don't even like the sport? Does FIFA think this will get them interested?”

A third commented: “Whoever wins can say they have championship rings now like they do in the NBA and MLB.”

Championship rings are a long-standing tradition in North America and are handed out to the Super Bowl, NBA, World Series, and Stanley Cup winners.