Featuring in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, Cape Verde collected a significant amount of prize money from the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA).
On the morning of June 27, the African representative held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in the final matchday of Group H, thereby closing out the group stage with three consecutive draws. Thanks to Spain defeating Uruguay 1-0 in the simultaneous match, Cape Verde finished in second place in the group and became the first team in the history of the 48-team World Cup to win a ticket to the knockout stage without winning any matches in the group stage.
According to FIFA’s financial distribution structure, reaching the round of 32 helps Cape Verde receive 12 million USD in prize money. If they continue to advance deep, the prize money will increase significantly.
Previously, each national team participating in the 2026 World Cup was guaranteed to receive a minimum of 12.5 million USD. This amount includes 10 million USD for teams that cleared the qualifiers, along with 2.5 million USD to support preparation work such as training camps, travel, and pre-tournament expenses.
Besides, FIFA also allocated more than 16 million USD in the form of additional support for all participating teams. This funding source is used to cover travel costs, logistics, sports delegation operations, and to increase the number of tickets allocated to associations, thereby contributing to narrowing the financial gap between football nations.
For Cape Verde, the tens of millions of USD in prize money is a well-deserved reward for the most successful World Cup in the history of the country’s football. The achievement of progressing past the group stage promises to create a major boost for the development of Cape Verdean football in the coming years.
