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The winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive a record $51 million in prize money, along with the World Cup trophy, championship rings for the first time and a place in sporting history. FIFA has increased the tournament's total prize fund to a record $871 million for the expanded 48-team World Cup, up from $440 million for the 32-team tournament in Qatar in 2022. The governing body added more than $100 million in April after several European football federations sought additional financial support, citing the higher travel and accommodation costs of a tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. European rights body raises World Cup integrity concerns, urges FIFA reforms before 2030 The runners-up will receive $34 million, while third-placed England and fourth-placed France will earn $30 million and $28 million, respectively. Quarter-finalists will receive $20 million each, Round of 16 teams $16 million, Round of 32 teams $12 million, and teams eliminated in the group stage $10 million. Every participating federation is guaranteed at least $12.5 million, comprising $10 million for qualifying and competing in the group stage and $2.5 million to cover pre-tournament training and preparation costs. FIFA said the upfront payments were designed to avoid disputes between players and national associations over unpaid bonuses before tournaments. The governing body also covers business-class return flights, accommodation and meals for a 50-member delegation, including players, beginning five nights before a team's opening match until one night after its elimination. FIFA also pays for domestic transport, including a dedicated vehicle fleet and equipment truck. National federations, however, remain responsible for insurance, incidental hotel expenses and accommodation for additional delegation members. Although the $51 million winners' prize is the largest in World Cup history, it remains lower than the reported transfer fee recently paid by English club Brighton for Croatian teenager Luka Vušković and below the $115 million earned by Chelsea for winning the expanded FIFA Club World Cup last year. The original FIFA World Cup trophy is not permanently awarded. Instead, the champions receive a gold-plated replica to keep. Prize money is paid to national federations rather than players, with each federation deciding how it is distributed. Under a landmark 2022 agreement, US Soccer retains 20% of its prize money, while the remaining 80% is shared equally between the men's and women's national teams.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she will attend Sunday's FIFA World Cup final after receiving an invitation from US President Donald Trump, marking their first meeting since December following months of public disagreements. Speaking to Mexican media, Sheinbaum said she accepted the invitation because it came directly from the US president. Argentina and Spain battle for World Cup glory in tournament finale Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would also attend the match and that she would provide further details in a recorded message on Sunday, she added. Sheinbaum did not attend the tournament's opening match in Mexico City, where the host nation defeated South Africa 2-0. Instead, she gave her ticket to a young Indigenous woman. Relations between Sheinbaum and Trump have remained strained in recent months over a range of issues, including security and trade. Their last meeting took place during the World Cup draw in December. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking the first time the tournament has been jointly staged by the three North American countries. Defending champions Argentina are set to face Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Spain's King Felipe VI is also expected to attend the title decider.

Europe's top human rights body has questioned the integrity of the FIFA World Cup and urged football's governing body to strengthen safeguards ahead of the 2030 tournament, which will be hosted mainly by Spain and Portugal. In an open letter to FIFA published on Sunday, hours before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset warned that the next crisis in football had "two names: money and power." Argentina and Spain battle for World Cup glory in tournament finale The Swiss politician cited FIFA's decision to suspend a mandatory one-match ban on United States forward Folarin Balogun following pressure from US President Donald Trump, arguing that political influence had undermined confidence in the sport. Balogun was cleared to play against Belgium in a quarterfinal with a place in the semifinals at stake, although Belgium won 4-1. Berset also criticised FIFA's reported $150 million sponsorship agreement with prediction market company ADI Predictstreet, signed just a week after the Abu Dhabi-backed firm was established, as well as other gambling-related commercial partnerships linked to the tournament. He warned that prediction betting could encourage insider trading and fraud by allowing wagers on individual actions that do not affect the final score. The Council of Europe, which signed a cooperation agreement with FIFA in 2018 to promote transparency, accountability, integrity, safety in sport and respect for human rights, said recent developments had undermined those shared values. Berset noted that FIFA has yet to publish the disciplinary ruling explaining why Balogun's suspension was lifted, despite criticism from UEFA, which said the decision had "crossed a red line" regarding football's rule of law and transparency. He also expressed concern over referees' authority being challenged, racist abuse targeting players-including by some elected officials-and the expansion of betting markets covering every pass, card and corner during matches. Looking ahead to the 2030 men's World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each staging one opening match to mark the tournament's centenary, Berset called on FIFA to begin an immediate dialogue to establish a stronger integrity framework before the competition begins.

The stage is set for the FIFA World Cup final as Lionel Messi's Argentina take on Lamine Yamal-led Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 pm EDT.   Argentina are aiming to win their fourth World Cup title, while Spain are chasing a second crown. A victory for Spain would also make it the first nation to simultaneously hold both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup titles. Messi eyes third Golden Ball as Mbappé moves closer to World Cup Golden Boot The final marks the 104th and last match of the expanded 48-team tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The competition has already produced 307 goals entering Sunday's decider, the highest total in World Cup history due to the increased number of matches. If the two finalists score at least twice, the tournament will also register the highest average goals per match since the 1956 World Cup, which averaged 3.6 goals per game. Even with fewer than two goals in the final, the tournament will still record the best scoring average since the 1970 edition, which averaged 2.97 goals per match.

Lionel Messi faces an uphill battle to win the World Cup Golden Boot after Kylian Mbappé extended his lead in the scoring race, but the Argentine captain remains the favourite to claim a record third Golden Ball when Argentina meet Spain in Sunday's final. Mbappé scored twice in France's 6-4 defeat to England in Saturday's third-place playoff, taking his tournament tally to 10 goals. Messi has eight goals, leaving him needing at least two goals in the final to draw level and three to move ahead. Before the third-place match, Messi and Mbappé were tied on eight goals, with the Argentine leading on the tiebreaker thanks to one more assist. If Messi cannot overtake Mbappé, he is still widely expected to win the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament's best player. At 39, he has guided Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final and is already the only player to have won the award twice, having claimed it in 2014 and 2022. "He is history. He is a legend," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. The Golden Boot is the only major individual World Cup honour missing from Messi's long list of achievements, which includes a record eight Ballon d'Or awards. Mbappé, who won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite France losing the final to Argentina, became the first player to score 10 goals in a single World Cup since Germany's Gerd Müller achieved the feat in 1970. If Messi scores enough goals to surpass Mbappé and Argentina win the title, he would become the first Golden Boot winner to play for the World Cup champions since Brazil's Ronaldo in 2002. Spain also have strong contenders for the tournament's other major individual awards. Goalkeeper Unai Simón is among the favourites for the Golden Glove after conceding just one goal in seven matches, while 19-year-old forward Yamine Lamal is a leading candidate for the Best Young Player award, presented to the top performer aged 21 or under. The Golden Ball, Golden Glove and Best Young Player awards are decided by media representatives from a shortlist prepared by FIFA's Technical Study Group.

France captain Kylian Mbappe became the highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history on Sunday, surpassing Lionel Messi's career tally, but the milestone came in a losing cause as England defeated France 6-4 in the third-place playoff. Mbappe scored twice in the second half to raise his career World Cup goal tally to 22, overtaking Messi's 21 goals. The French forward also finished the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals, moving two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's leading scorer. However, Messi, who has scored eight goals in the tournament, still has an opportunity to reduce the gap when defending champions Argentina face Spain in Monday's World Cup final. Speaking after the match, Mbappe said the personal achievement meant little compared to missing out on the final. "I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history and to be playing in tomorrow's match," he told Fox Sports. France had hoped to reach a third consecutive World Cup final but were eliminated by Spain in the semifinals. Mbappe, who also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with eight goals, is on course to become the first player to claim the award twice if he remains the tournament's top scorer after Monday's final. His 10-goal haul in this edition equals the third-highest total in a single World Cup. France's Just Fontaine still holds the record with 13 goals in 1958, followed by Hungary's Sandor Kocsis with 11 in 1954, while Germany's Gerd Muller also scored 10 goals in 1970. France trailed 4-0 at halftime before launching an impressive comeback. Mbappe opened the scoring for Les Bleus in the 48th minute and struck again in the 66th minute to set the career World Cup scoring record. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also found the net, while Michael Olise provided two assists to take his tournament total to seven, setting a new World Cup record for assists. Reflecting on the performance, Mbappe admitted France had fallen well below expectations in the opening half. "There were two completely different halves. We were stunned in the first half and paid the price. We responded after the break, but it was too late," he said. The match also marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France head coach. Mbappe said the players were disappointed they could not give their coach a winning farewell. "It's unfortunate for the coach because we wanted to win for him. The first half may give the impression that we let him down, but that's not how we wanted his final match to be remembered," he said. Deschamps, who guided France to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final, described his time in charge as the most rewarding period of his career. "It is the end of a remarkable journey. Since taking charge in 2012, I have always put the French national team first," he said. The French Football Federation is widely expected to appoint former France captain Zinedine Zidane as Deschamps' successor in the coming days.

Bukayo Saka struck a hat trick as England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup third-place playoff on Sunday, capping one of the highest-scoring matches in tournament history. Saka scored twice before halftime and completed his hat trick with a late penalty as England raced to a commanding 4-0 lead before surviving a spirited French comeback to secure third place. Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa also found the net in the opening half, while Jude Bellingham added England's sixth goal deep into stoppage time to seal the victory. France mounted an impressive second-half fightback through Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Demele. Mbappe scored twice to cut the deficit to 4-3 before England restored its cushion with Saka's penalty and Bellingham's late strike. The 10-goal contest was the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1 in 1982 and featured the most goals ever scored in a World Cup third-place playoff. England coach Thomas Tuchel described the tournament as a success despite the team's semifinal defeat to Argentina, where the Three Lions surrendered a 1-0 lead before losing 2-1. "We are fiercely competitive, so it is difficult to celebrate finishing third because our ambition was to reach the final and win the World Cup," Tuchel said. "But this result can help us move closer to the level of teams like Argentina and France." Bellingham's stoppage-time strike took his tournament tally to seven goals, setting a new record for the most goals scored by an England player in a single World Cup. Captain Harry Kane netted six goals in both the 2026 and 2018 tournaments, matching Gary Lineker's tally from the 1986 World Cup. Mbappe's two goals also saw him surpass Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record, taking his career total to 22 goals. The France captain has scored 10 goals in this tournament, putting him two clear of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Messi, who has 21 World Cup goals overall and eight in this tournament, will have one final opportunity to reduce the gap when defending champions Argentina face Spain in early Monday's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Speaking after the match, Mbappe said he expected Messi to score in the final but admitted he would rather have been playing for the trophy than leading the scoring charts. "I always try to help my team score. Of course, scoring so many World Cup goals is special, but I would have preferred to be playing in tomorrow's final," he said. The match also marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France coach. After the final whistle, Deschamps embraced his players and acknowledged supporters before leaving the field. Reflecting on the defeat, he said France had been deeply disappointed by its semifinal exit and admitted his side had struggled badly in the first half before improving after the break. However, he said he did not want his coaching career to be judged solely on the team's final two matches.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze is expected to mostly clear from the New Jersey area just in time for the World Cup final on Sunday, thanks to thunderstorms passing through the area, meteorologists say. Warnings of unhealthy air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States. At MetLife Stadium, where the final is taking place, it rained heavily and thunder boomed. State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. Volunteers and staff dashed inside for cover as ponchos were handed out. The sky was the same thick, soupy gray it has been for days. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned residents Saturday about the potential for damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail. Spain’s training session ahead of the final against Argentina was suspended at a nearby field because of the storms and lighting in the area. And FIFA said it was in close contact with local authorities as it continues to monitor the impacts from the wildfire smoke and the storms on the conditions on field at MetLife Stadium. Storms will help clear the air This storm front will largely move the smoke out of the Northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina, said Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. MetLife Stadium, which has been renamed the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the matches, is an open-air stadium. “There could be some lingering smoke that would make things hazy, but very faint," Roys said. "In terms of the thickest smoke, the smoke that has really been eye-popping and leads to poor air quality, that is not expected across New York City or much of the Northeast.” Meteorologist says the air quality for the game ‘won’t be dangerous' WFLA-TV Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist Jeff Berardelli, in Tampa, Florida, echoed that, saying the storm front would “sweep the atmosphere clean," leaving only a thin smoke that World Cup spectators may still smell in the air. The air quality index shows an improvement from unhealthy air for sensitive groups on Saturday to “moderate” air quality Sunday in East Rutherford, which means little to no health risk for the general public. “It won't be dangerous anymore,” Berardelli said. “It's going to be dramatically better.” Temperatures are forecast to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), with light breezes and low humidity for the start of the final. “You couldn’t have asked for much better weather for the World Cup,” Berardelli added. Both Roys and Berardelli expect the heavier smoke Sunday to be concentrated closer to the fires, hanging over parts of the Midwest and the Great Lakes region. Wildfires have been igniting across Canada and northern Minnesota this month. Berardelli said they are burning longer and faster because of climate change. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System showed hundreds of active fires Saturday.

Anyone looking for a last-minute ticket to see Lionel Messi and Argentina face off against Lamine Yamal and Spain in the World Cup final should be ready to dig deep into the wallet for the credit card with the biggest balance possible. A key to a bank vault would work if there is one laying around. Sunday's final in East Rutherford, New Jersey is one expensive ticket. FIFA's official ticket resale site listed its cheapest tickets Saturday morning at $6,411.25 for a mid-level view behind the goal. Those disappeared by lunchtime. Tickets in the corners of the upper deck were listed for nearly $10,000. To get much closer to the action, buyers would need to spend around $16,000, or as much as nearly $60,000 for special hospitality seats. Other outlets such as SeatGeek and StubHub also listed upper deck tickets starting around $10,000, with some lower bowls seats approaching $35,000. For some, it may be worth it to watch Messi, considered by many to be the greatest player ever, chase history against Yamal, one of soccer's brightest rising stars. Argentina will be playing for its fourth title overall and second in a row. No country has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Spain won the title in 2010.

Spain captain Rodri believes his team's place in the FIFA World Cup final is the result of years of steady progress rather than a sudden breakthrough, saying the squad has been building towards this moment over several tournaments. Spain has reached the World Cup final for only the second time, and Rodri said the team's triumph in the Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024 laid the foundation for its current success. Argentines, Spaniards divided over loyalties ahead of historic World Cup final The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner said Spain now faces its toughest test yet against defending champion Argentina in Sunday's final, adding that his teammates should focus on winning rather than fearing defeat. "We've been gradually growing," Rodri said on Friday. "We have to keep doing the same things we're doing because it has been a process for all five years." Spain has conceded just one goal in seven World Cup matches, including a 2-0 semifinal victory over France. Since opening the tournament with a surprise draw against Cape Verde, La Roja has outscored its opponents 13-1. "Our goal when we got to this World Cup was to win the trophy, and we were convinced that we could achieve this," Rodri said. "We've shown that this national team has been able to defeat great opponents." Spain's route to the final featured decisive late goals from Mikel Merino in both the round of 16 and quarterfinals, while goalkeeper Unai Simón has made nine saves during the tournament. The team's disciplined defending has also been a key factor in its success. Rodri rejected the idea that Spain relies on a single style of play, saying the team has shown it can adapt to different situations. Reflecting on Spain's first World Cup title 16 years ago, Rodri said that team's determination remains an inspiration, but stressed that the current squad is focused on its own development. "We can even do it better," he said. "Against France, we played one of our best matches as a team. But against Argentina, we have to raise our level because they are the champions. I'm really confident that we can do it."