Why USA Will Share 2026 World Cup Prize Money With Women's Team
- The USMNT will not keep all of its FIFA World Cup prize money
- A collective bargaining agreement ensures the USWNT also benefits from the payout
- The arrangement will work both ways at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup
The United States men's national team (USMNT) will share half of its 2026 FIFA World Cup prize money with the country's women's national team despite the USWNT not participating in the tournament.
The arrangement follows a landmark collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed by the men's and women's teams in 2022, which introduced an equal sharing of FIFA World Cup prize money between both national sides.
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The development comes after the USMNT's disappointing Round of 16 exit, where the co-hosts were beaten 4-1 by Belgium.
How the money will be shared
Although FIFA will pay the USMNT $16 million for reaching the knockout stage, the players will not receive the full amount.
Under the agreement, U.S. Soccer will first retain 20% of the prize money, amounting to $3.2 million. The remaining $12.8 million will then be split equally between the USMNT and the USWNT, according to the New York Times.
As a result, members of the women's national team are expected to receive about $246,153 each, despite not featuring at the men's World Cup.
However, the arrangement is reciprocal. When the FIFA Women's World Cup takes place in 2027, the USMNT will also be entitled to an equal share of the prize money earned by the women's team, per Front Office Sports.
For now, the USWNT's portion of the 2026 prize fund will remain in an interest-bearing account until after the conclusion of the 2027 Women's World Cup, when payments will be distributed to the players.
Landmark agreement promotes equal rewards
The revenue-sharing model remains one of the most significant agreements in international football, ensuring that both national teams benefit equally from FIFA prize money regardless of which tournament generates the earnings.
Supporters of the deal believe it reflects U.S. Soccer's commitment to equal pay, while critics argue it reduces the financial reward earned on the pitch by the competing team.
Trump weighed in on Balogun controversy
Legit.ng previously reported that United States President Donald Trump revealed he asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card shown to USMNT striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup.
Trump insisted Balogun "didn't do anything wrong" and questioned the referee's decision, describing the incident as two players colliding at full speed while suggesting the official's previous record should be examined.
Source: Legit.ng
