$35 MILLION FOR CUP WINNER

The 32 teams at next year’s World Cup finals will share a total fund of $576 million, including a prize money pot of $358m with the winner taking home $35m, FIFA said on Thursday.

The amount of money made available to the countries taking part has increased 37 percent from the $420m offered at the 2010 finals in South Africa. The winners’ prize money has gone up $5m.

The decision was announced by FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke at a media conference following the two-day FIFA executive committee, which ended on Thursday.

The runner-up in Brazil next year will pocket $25m, while the third-place team will take home $22m and the fourth-place team $20m. The four teams eliminated in the quarterfinals will leave with $14m; teams in the last 16 will receive $9m; and those eliminated in the first round will get $8m.

In addition, each of the 32 finalists will receive $1.5m for their “preparation costs”, up $500,000 from 2010.

“There will also be awards of $70m for the clubs whose players are taking part in the World Cup and, in addition to that, $20m will be given as a legacy to Brazilian football,” Valcke said.

“We will not wait for the start of the World Cup for that, those payments will start immediately and will rise to $100m in the future.”

Valcke confirmed that the legacy money would be put into grassroots soccer in Brazil as well as education and health projects linked to the sport in the country.

The grand total of $576m includes a figure of $100m available as insurance for players injured while playing for their national teams, known as the club protection program.