FafaFifa on Tuesday raised total World Cup cash distributions to almost $900 million after teams hours and mounting costs of participation to the tournament.
FIFA, football’s global governing body, said the money split between the 48 teams competing in next year’s finals in Mexico, Canada and the United States would now amount to $871 million – with FIFA increasing an initial figure of $727 million announced in December.
The large increase is largely due to the fact that Fifa members reportedly contended that high travel, tax and general operational costs would mean they could lose money from their participation in the tournament.
Those fears have now been eased by Fifa, which raised its offer of $1.5 million for “preparation costs” to $2.5 million for each of the 32 teams that qualify
A payment of $9 million for qualifying for the tournament has also become $10 million.
An increase also includes additional contributions for team delegation costs and greater team ticketing allocations.
Fifa is expected to make approximately $13 billion from the current four-year World Cup cycle, which culminates with this year’s tournament — the biggest World Cup in history.
Prize money for the 2026 tournament announced last year by Fifa was already a whopping 50 per cent higher than that on offer at the World Cup held early this year,where a record total of £279million (approx €323m) was distributed.
Mouth-covering crackdown
Fifa also announced changes to the laws that will come into force when the World Cup kicks off in Mexico City on June 11.
Players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents will receive a red card as part of measures to fight racism in one new project introduced from now on.
The rule was among two law changes that Fifa announced after a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Vancouver on Tuesday.
“The competition organiser may sanction with a red card any player in a confrontational situation with an opponent who covers their mouth,” Fifa said.
This new regulation comes in the wake of controversy earlier this year, when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was linked with racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League match in February.
Prestianni was alleged to have called Vinicius a “monkey as he pretended to cover his mouth. Vinicius denied that he had racially abused his rival in a subsequent match against Young Boys and was ultimately banned for six games — three of which were suspended — for “homophobic conduct”.
Fifa also announced that a red card would be given to any player leaving the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision as part of a different law change on Tuesday which will apply at the World Cup.
FIFA’s statement also added that a team which abandons a game will lose the match by forfeit.
The decision comes in the wake of widespread anger at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final, when Senegal’s players and head coach Pape Thiaw walked off the pitch following a penalty awarded to Morocco in time added on for their eventual winner Jawad El Yamiq, after forward Brahim Diaz wasted the chance.
Senegal were crowned 1-0 winners after extra time in the final but then sensationally had their title withdrawn last month by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Fifa has also cleared a proposal to alter the way sanctions are administered in World Cup matches.
In this year’s tournament, players will receive single yellow cards in the group stage that will be cancelled after the completion of the first round and again after the quarter-finals.
The decision is aimed at avoiding a situation where star players end up suspended for important tournament matches after two separate yellow cards.