World Cup 2014 Prize Money: Payout Distribution Info and More

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Updates from Monday, July 14

ESPN FC confirmed Germany’s massive payday following Sunday’s World Cup final win over Argentina:

Germany will be awarded $35 million in prize money for winning the 2014 World Cup, while each player will get a $408,000 bonus from their national football federation (DFB) for lifting the trophy.

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Argentina will be paid $25 million for finishing as runners-up in 2014, while each of the 32 nations that reached the finals in Brazil have earned at least $8 million.

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The 2014 World Cup champions will not only be going home with the top prize in world football, but they’ll come away with $35 million in prize money, according to the Associated Press (via SportsIllustrated.com). 

That’s $5 million more than Spain received for winning it all in South Africa four years ago.

But there’s plenty of prize money to go around, as even the last-place nation is guaranteed to come away with at least $8 million this summer.

The 32 participating nations will share a total fund of $576 million, which includes insurance policies to cover the club salaries owed to injured players. The actual prize money pot is $358 million, meaning the champion will take roughly 10 percent of the share.

Here we’ll break down the prize money distribution at the 2014 World Cup.

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As the World Cup grows in popularity every four years, the prize money continues to increase. In December of 2009, FIFA announced that prize money for the 2010 World Cup would increase 61 percent from that awarded at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

2014 World Cup Prize Money BreakdownFinshPayoutTeam(s)Champion$35,000,000GermanyRunner-up$25,000,000ArgentinaThird Place$22,000,000NetherlandsFourth Place$20,000,000BrazilQuarterfinal$14,000,000Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, FranceRound of 16$9,000,000Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Greece, Nigeria, Algeria, Switzerland, United StatesGroup Stage$8,000,000Australia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cameroon, Croatia, Ecuador, England, Ghana, Honduras, Iran, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, SpainSource: FIFA

Now, this year’s is up 37 percent from the previous tournament.

So while the $348 million share may seem like a ridiculous amount, that number is likely to grow ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

As FIFA.com notes, the organization also provides money for preparation expenses:

In addition, each of the 32 qualified teams will be granted $1.5 million for preparation costs. $70 million will be provided by FIFA via the member associations to the clubs whose players take part in the final competition as a contribution towards their participation.

But make no mistake, the 32 competing squads won’t be content to leave Brazil with $8 million and a losing record. The World Cup only comes around every four years, and the glory of winning it lasts for a lifetime. 

Brazil will be the favorite to win their sixth World Cup and first ever on home soil, with fellow heavyweights Spain, Argentina and Germany likely to come away with the top financial prizes as well.

And outside of the host nation, no team will be more scrutinized than the United States men’s national team, who are set to field an inexperienced squad in Brazil, as noted by manager Jurgen Klinsmann, per USSoccer.com:

I think there’s always a first time. You just need to go into a World Cup with a lot of confidence and be very well prepared. You have to be sure you did your homework. Once you are on the field and you play your first games, it’s nothing more than any other game, like a World Cup qualifier. The mention of it to the outside world is far bigger.

Success at the 2014 World Cup goes well beyond prize money payout for the Stars and Stripes, who have a history of failure at world football’s global spectacle. 

However, getting out of a loaded Group G would have to be considered a major success for the U.S. With Germany, Ghana and Portugal awaiting the Americans in Brazil this summer, reaching the round of 16 will be no easy task for Klinsmann and company and would guarantee them with a well-deserved $9 million.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.