Khaberni - The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) has raised the total financial amounts distributed in the upcoming summer World Cup to nearly $900 million, following concerns over increasing costs borne by the participating teams in the finals scheduled in North America.
The international federation stated in a statement that the total money to be distributed among the 48 teams participating in the finals scheduled in the United States, Mexico, and Canada has now reached $871 million, compared to an initial amount of $727 million announced in December.
The announcement of this increase came after a meeting of the FIFA Council before the General Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, on Thursday.
This substantial increase comes after reports indicated that several FIFA members complained about the high costs of travel, taxes, and operational expenses, which could lead to them incurring losses from participation in the tournament.
FIFA hastened to alleviate these concerns by raising the "preparation costs" grant from $1.5 million to $2.5 million for each qualified team.
The qualification reward has also been increased from $9 million to $10 million.
The total increase also includes additional contributions for the costs of team delegations and an increase in team ticket allocations.
"FIFA is proud to be in the strongest financial position in its history, enabling us to assist all member associations in an unprecedented way," said Swiss-Italian FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a statement.
He added, "This is another example of how FIFA is reinvesting its resources back into the sport."
FIFA is expected to generate about $13 billion from the current four-year World Cup cycle, which concludes with this year's finals, the largest in history, with the participation of 48 teams for the first time.
The value of the prize money designated for the 2026 edition, announced last year, exceeds what was provided in the 2022 World Cup by 50%.
The increase in payments comes at a time when FIFA is facing increasing criticism due to the rising prices of final tickets, while some local authorities in the United States have significantly raised transportation costs during the event.
