Even after being eliminated in the group stage, South Korea receives a prize of 185 billion won... 'Champion' Spain hits the jackpot with a record-breaking 750 billion won

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean national football team is set to receive a substantial World Cup prize despite the disappointment of elimination in the group stage. This is due to a significant increase in the prize money scale for the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup. Spain, which claimed the championship, secured the largest payout in history.

AP reported on the 20th (Korean time) that "the World Cup champion will receive $51 million (approximately 75 billion won) under the expanded prize system."

Consequently, the Spanish Football Association, which topped this tournament, has secured a massive sum of $51 million in championship prize money.

Spain defeated Argentina, led by Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), 1-0 after extra time in the North American World Cup final on this day. With this victory, Spain claimed its second World Cup title overall and its first since 2010, marking a 16-year gap since their previous championship.

Argentina, which failed to achieve back-to-back World Cup titles and its fourth overall championship, will receive $34 million (approximately 50 billion won) as the runner-up prize. England, in third place, will be awarded $30 million (approximately 44.5 billion won), while France, in fourth place, will receive $28 million (approximately 41.5 billion won).

The total payout for the North American World Cup is the largest in history. The total amount distributed to the 48th participating nations reaches a staggering $871 million (approximately 1.3 trillion won).

AP explained the background for the increased prize money by stating, "Some European football associations requested additional support from FIFA, arguing that this tournament held across three countries requires extensive travel and high accommodation costs."

As a result, every team participating in the North American World Cup secured at least $12.5 million (approximately 18.5 billion won), regardless of their performance. This amount includes $10 million in prize money for advancing to the finals and participating in the group stage, plus $2.5 million for training and tournament preparation costs.

Until last year, the minimum payout announced by FIFA for teams eliminated in the group stage was $10.5 million. This figure combined $9 million in prize money for group stage elimination with $1.5 million in tournament preparation costs.

However, some participating countries demanded an increase in support citing high travel and accommodation costs, leading to an upward adjustment of the payout amounts. The prize money for group stage participation increased from $9 million to $10 million, while tournament preparation costs rose from $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

The South Korean national team, previously led by former coach Hong Myung-bo, will receive a total of $12.5 million despite being eliminated in the group stage. South Korea was drawn into Group A along with co-host Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Africa. However, they recorded one win and two losses in the group stage, finishing third in their group. They also ranked 10th among all third-placed teams across groups, failing to advance to the round of 32.

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*This content was translated by AI.