Should England clinch the World Cup, players and coaching staff will share approximately half of the FA’s £38 million prize fund in bonuses. This lucrative incentive was established through an agreement with the players’ leadership group before the tournament commenced.
Sources indicate that if Harry Kane lifts the trophy in New York next weekend, around £15 million will be distributed among the squad, with manager Thomas Tuchel slated to receive £3 million and nearly £1 million allocated to his support team. This potential bonus pool represents more than double the amount they would have earned had they won the World Cup in Qatar four years ago.
According to insiders, Tuchel’s squad owes a degree of its financial reward to the England Lionesses, who publicly addressed their bonus disputes with the FA prior to the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The governing body had initially hesitated to offer additional incentives beyond the individual prize money, which was set at £200,000 for the winners.
The Lionesses’ disputes were resolved after a tournament that saw them finish as runners-up to Spain. Following this, the FA responded by enhancing the financial potential for the men’s team, which has also benefited from a substantial increase in FIFA prize money for national associations.
The total prize pool has surged by 50% from the previous tournament to $655 million (£488 million). However, this amount must now be divided among 48 associations instead of 32, with the champions set to receive $50 million, compared to $32 million four years ago.
Currently, the FA is assured approximately $19 million due to England’s advancement to the quarter-finals, with nearly half of that amount earmarked for players and staff, regardless of the result in Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway.
The exact distribution to each player will vary based on their on-field time, but if shared equally, it would amount to around £577,000 per player. Additionally, players earn £2,000 for each match they participate in, but a historic agreement dictates that these fees are donated to charity. Since 2007, this initiative has raised over £5 million for various charitable causes through the England Footballers Foundation.
The FA has been approached for comment.
