FIFA World Cup – All about the Money?

Every player, no matter the sport, dreams of winning major titles. For NFL players it is all about the Super Bowl; NBA players – the Championships; tennis players – the Grand Slams... and football players, or soccer players – the World Cup.

Winning the major titles is what it is all about – where the trough of fame they all worship is found and from which unimaginable accolades and recognition spill forth.

Glory, in its purest form, is what drives sports players to unimaginable feats of excellence. But is that all that drives players, or is there more incentive in play?

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For example, prize money? Sponsorship deals? Monetary rewards?

It is no secret that money provides that extra incentive, that awe-inspiring push in the pursuit of glory. Each and every sport rewards its players in some way or form.

The latest monetary reward to grab headlines around the world comes from FIFA. The World Cup makes billions for FIFA, in global television rights, merchandise and tickets, among many other things.

Divvying the profits among the participating nation’s Football Associations is par for the course. It is only fair really, as not every country has a cash rich football association. Such reward money therefore helps cover costs incurred by participating nations. It also allows these organizations then to negotiate with select players, and their clubs, for their participation.

Spain’s Soccer Federation received about $31 million in prize money from FIFA. Spain’s victory over Holland in the FIFA World Cup 2010 Final has earned the Spanish Football Association a “killing” in reward money, a cheque that the Association has promised to share with each of its 23 players in the form of a 600,000 Euro bonus (about $758,000 US dollars). [source: Yahoo Sports].

This landfall comes during trying economic and political times in Spain. Spain is hovering precariously on the edge of a cliff, below lays the very same abyss into which Greece only recently tumbled, ushering the biggest rescue package in the history of the European Union.

The losing team’s Association, which was Holland, receives a cool $2.4 million, which the Dutch Soccer Association has appropriated to include 300,000 Euro’s ($380,000) for each player.

For the tournament proper, FIFA handed out over 100 million Euros. This sum includes “prize money to the tune of $7.5 million for a team getting out of group play, $9 million for reaching the quarterfinals and $18 million for reaching the semi-finals. Losing in the semi-finals was worth $20 million.” [Source: Yahoo Sports].

Not every Soccer Federation (though most did) generously shared the spoils with their players. According to the Times, the English Soccer Association didn’t come out of the pocket, their players leaving South Africa without bonuses because theirs were set to kick in with a quarterfinal appearance or better. Perhaps the Brits were too supercilious.