How Much Do the USMNT Players Get Paid for the 2026 World Cup?

The U.S. men’s national team players stand to earn a pretty penny regardless of how deep they go in the tournament.

The USMNT got its World Cup campaign off to a dream start. | Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

FIFA’s aptitude for raking in the cash has taken over headlines as of late, given the organization’s unprecedented ticket pricing for the 2026 World Cup. Nevertheless, soccer’s governing body does have to dole out the cash too, including a large sum to each of the 48 competing nations.

This means that some players walk away with a sizable payout.

In late April, FIFA increased its financial distribution for the tournament, handing each federation $12.5 million, which includes $10 million for qualifying for the tournament—up from the $9 million originally pledged—and $2.5 million for preparations—up from $1.5 million.

In addition to that guaranteed compensation, each team earns a performance-based sum. The World Cup champions earn an added prize of $50 million, while the runners-up take home $33 million. The compensation continues to scale down from there, yet even those eliminated in the group stage still walk away with a consolation prize worth $9 million, per USA Today.

World Cup Finish	Performance-Based Prize Money
Champions	$50 million
Runners-up	$33 million
Third Place	$29 million
Fourth Place	$27 million
Quarterfinals	$19 million
Round of 16	$15 million
Round of 32	$11 million
Group Stage	$9 million

FIFA pays each federation directly, and it is up to those federations on how much they pay their players. The U.S. Soccer Federation agreed to landmark collective bargaining agreements with the men’s and women’s national teams back in 2022, equalizing compensation for the first time. The CBAs, which run through 2028, made USSF the first national governing body to promise both sexes matching money, and this includes the dollars from the men’s FIFA World Cup this summer.

The U.S. Soccer players’ unions agreed to pool World Cup prize money from the men’s and women’s editions of the tournament (2026 and 2027). 20% of that money goes to the the federation itself, while the 52 players—26 men and 26 women—split the other 80% equally.

So with regard to the 2026 World Cup, the competing USMNT players will share their prize money with the USWNT players. The same principle will apply at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the USWNT players sharing their prize money with the USMNT players.

Based on this pay structure, here’s how much each USMNT player stands to earn this summer at the 2026 World Cup.

---

How Much Each USMNT Player Could Earn This Summer

Folarin Balogun (left) and Chris Richards (right) will power the USMNT to World Cup success. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images

Assuming what the CBA terms “World Cup prize money” includes the initial guaranteed compensation of $12.5 million in addition to whatever performance-based sum the USMNT earns this year, both the USMNT and USWNT players stand to earn a pretty penny, especially if the USMNT go deep into the home tournament.

Even if the USMNT is eliminated in the group stage—which is increasingly unlikely given the tournament’s extended format and the dominant 4–1 win in Friday’s opener against Paraguay—the players of U.S. Soccer will walk away with $21.5 million collectively, a sum made up of the $12.5 million in guaranteed compensation and the $9 million consolation prize for trying.

Then, 80% of that giant sum is divided equally between both the women’s and men’s teams. Each of the 52 players banks roughly $330,500.

If the Americans advance to but ultimately lose in the round of 32—which the team will largely consider a failure—each player will leave with around $361,500 in their pocket, whereas a round of 16 finish—the exit route most common for the USMNT historically—will see player in U.S. Soccer will earn roughly $423,000.

If the USMNT advances to the quarterfinals, something the squad has achieved just once in the modern era of the World Cup, then every player stands to pocket around $484,500.

Should the Americans utterly stun the world and hoist the trophy on July 19, the players will earn nearly a whopping $1 million each, as if achieving global glory isn’t enough of an incentive.

World Cup Finish	Payout (Per U.S. Soccer Player)
Champions	$961,538.46
Runners-up	$700,000
Third Place	$638,461.53
Fourth Place	$607,692.30
Quarterfinals	$484,615.38
Round of 16	$423,076.92
Round of 32	$361,538.46
Group Stage	$330,769.23

Per the CBA agreement, $10,000 also goes to each USMNT player included on the roster for the World Cup match, equating to $30,000 just for appearing on the roster throughout the group stage this summer.

Both the USMNT and USWNT players will split a portion of U.S. Soccer’s revenue from World Cup apparel and sponsorships, too, another first-of-its-kind agreement. If the federation’s revenue is between $55 to $75 million, the players collectively receive 10%. It increases to 15% if the revenue is above $75 million. That percentage is split equally between the men’s and women’s players.

This is life-changing money for many of the players on the USMNT roster. For example, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter makes $480,000 annually in guaranteed compensation with MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps, per MLS Players’ Association. He stands the real possibility of more than doubling his yearly income. Starting goalkeeper Matt Freese makes $795,833 guaranteed compensation for MLS side New York City FC.

---