What every England player does with the money they earn playing at the World Cup
As is tradition, every England player will give their World Cup appearance money to the England Football Foundation (EFF). The EFF started back in 2007 when the England team decided to donate their match fees and time to charities like the Bobby Moore Fund, Help for Heroes, and UNICEF.
A players’ committee made up of Gary Neville, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Jamie Carragher helped create the EFF. Neville, who played a big part in setting it up, said in 2017, “The work with the charities over the past 10 years has been amazing. The difference it makes in people’s lives is fantastic.”
Since it began, the EFF has raised over £5 million. This summer, each England player will give their usual £2,000 fee for every World Cup game straight to the foundation. Besides the £2,000 fee, reports say each player could also get a bonus of over £500,000 if England wins the World Cup.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel is expected to earn even more, with rumors saying he’ll make several million if he leads the team to victory. This is before the big FIFA prize money is shared out — the winners get $50 million (£37.5m), the runners-up $33 million (£24.9m), and third place $29 million (£21.9m).
In the past, most World Cup winners have donated part of their prize money to charity. For example, France did this after winning in 2018. Kylian Mbappe even gave all his World Cup winnings to a children’s charity called Premiers de Cordée, which helps kids in hospitals or with disabilities enjoy sports.
Spain is expected to have a bonus system that starts around £150,000 at the quarter-finals and grows up to £400,000 for winning the final. French players could earn around £450,000 for a win. After Germany won in 2014, each player got £250,000, but the prize for 2026 hasn’t been announced yet.
The only country with a bigger prize than England is Brazil. Reports say the Brazilian Football Federation will give each player $1 million (£755,000) if they win it all.