Should England triumph in the World Cup, the players and coaching staff are poised to share approximately half of the FA’s £38 million FIFA prize money as bonuses.
According to reliable sources, a previously established bonus agreement with the players’ leadership group ensures that the FA will allocate around £15 million to the squad, £3 million to head coach Thomas Tuchel, and roughly £1 million for his support team, contingent upon Harry Kane lifting the trophy in New York next weekend.
This potential bonus pool significantly surpasses what players would have received had they secured victory in the World Cup held in Qatar four years ago, with amounts more than doubling.
Insiders have indicated that Tuchel’s squad owes part of this financial benefit to the England Lionesses, who publicly addressed their grievances with the FA prior to the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Their dispute was centered around a bonus structure, as the governing body initially resisted offering additional incentives beyond the individual FIFA prize money, which was set at £200,000 for the tournament winners.
Following the resolution of that dispute, which saw the Lionesses reach the final only to be defeated by Spain, the FA responded by enhancing the financial rewards available to the men’s team. This adjustment comes as FIFA has also significantly raised the total prize money distributed to national associations.
From the 2022 tournament, FIFA’s prize fund has surged by 50% to $655 million (£488 million). However, this sum is now divided among 48 associations instead of the previous 32, with the winning team receiving $50 million, an increase from $32 million four years prior.
The FA has already secured approximately $19 million by reaching the quarter-finals, with half of this amount earmarked for distribution among the players and coaching staff, regardless of the outcome in Saturday’s quarter-final match against Norway.
The specific bonus each player receives will be determined by their playing time, though if divided equally, it would amount to about £577,000 per player. Additionally, players earn £2,000 for each match appearance; however, in a historic move, 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.
