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What's the story:
European powerhouse France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in style after a long wait of 20 years. They overcame a tough challenge from runners-up Croatia in a thrilling final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. The match ended 4-2 to France, as their attackers seemed too overpowered for the Croatian defense.
The Blues with an experienced squad and the winning mentality of lifting every big trophy in the world at club level, comfortably beat every team who came in their way. This emphatic victory meant that Les Blues took home $38 million in prize money for winning the World Cup, while runners-up Croatia shouldn't be too disappointed with a fair share of $28 million in prize money.
The Back Story:
In 2017, the FIFA Council confirmed that organization's total contribution to fund the 2018 World Cup would be a whopping $791 million - a 40% increase from the previous edition. $400 million would be allocated just as prize money for the participating teams, which saw a 12% rise. The increase in funding meant that France has now won more prize money than ever before for winning the World Cup.
The drastic $230 million rise in funding from the 2014 edition is due to the increased funds for the Club Benefit and Club Protection Programme as seen from the above illustration.
The Club Benefit Programme is a fund that was designed to recognize the contribution that clubs made in the successful staging of the FIFA World Cup. A share of the benefits from hosting the competition is distributed to clubs releasing players for the FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, The Club Protection Programme is an insurance policy covering the injury risk of national team players. It ensures that FIFA provides compensation for the losses encountered by the club (player salary) during the period that the player is unavailable for his respective club.
The breakdown of the prize money given to each team participating in the World Cup 2018:
Winners France were rewarded $38 million in prize money for their achievements while second-placed Croatia who reached the finals against all odds received $28 million for their contribution. Dark horses Belgium received $24 million in prize money for their third-placed finish in a 2-0 victory over fourth-placed England, who received $22 million for their effort.
Brazil who were knocked out by Belgium in their quarterfinal encounter received $16 million in prize money along with hosts Russia and disciplined Uruguay. Spain and Argentina received $12 million for their display as they crashed out disappointingly in the early stages of the tournament. 2014 winners Germany received $8 million in prize money as they failed to survive their group and crashed out in the early stages of the tournament.
