FIFA World Cup 2022: Argentina receive highest ever prize money, here's how much previous winners earned

Lionel Messi-led Argentina prevailed 4-2 over France on penalties to claim the FIFA World Cup 2022 title, after playing out a scintillating 3-3 draw in the summit clash on Sunday, December 18 at Lusail. Messi scored twice in the final to help his side past the defending champions as they received staggering prize money for winning the FIFA World Cup 2022. 

Argentina will fly back home with prize money of $42 million, which is approximately equal to Rs 344 crore. It is the highest-ever prize money awarded in FIFA World Cup history. 

When France won the World Cup back in Russia in 2018, they earned prize money of $38 million, $4 million less than the recently concluded edition of the World Cup. 

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According to a report in The Athletic, FIFA has started revealing how much prize money the winners of World Cup received since 1982. 

In the 1982 World Cup, winners Italy raked in prize money of $2.2 million, and the sum has only increased ever since. 

Here's how much prize money the past 11 FIFA World Cup winners received:

1982 World Cup champion: Italy – $2.2 million 
1986: Argentina – $2.8 million
1990: West Germany – $3.5 million
1994: Brazil – $4 million 
1998: France – $6 million
2002: Brazil – $8 million
2006: Italy – $20 million 
2010: Spain – $30 million 
2014: Germany – $35 million 
2018: France – $ 38 million
2022: Argentina – $42 million

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Apart from the prize money received as the winning team of FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina and every other participating team in Qatar received a sum of $1.5 million as part of preparation costs for the tournament. 

All the teams also received prize money according to their final position at the World Cup.