French FA President Demands FIFA Increase World Cup Prize Money to Avoid Losses

Philippe Diallo, President of the French Football Federation, has called for an accelerated redistribution of prize money to national teams participating in the upcoming World Cup finals. He made this official intervention during the FIFA Congress held in Vancouver, Canada.

Diallo explained that the currently allocated amounts are still insufficient to cover the exorbitant costs borne by national federations. He noted that participating in the global spectacle requires substantial financial resources, which could place the budgets of many nations under the pressure of financial deficit.

The French FA President revealed precise financial estimates indicating that his country's participation in the tournament would cost approximately 24.4 million euros. This necessitates the team reaching at least the quarter-finals to avoid any direct financial losses resulting from preparations and travel.

In this context, Philippe Diallo stated: “I had the opportunity, along with others, to intervene and alert FIFA that the redistribution was insufficient. Personally, I would like to see the redistributed amounts increase further to match the value of the participating teams, as many of them today find themselves in a situation that will not allow them to balance their accounts during this World Cup.”

These demands come despite FIFA previously announcing a 15% increase in national team income, bringing the total to $871 million. However, the French official believes this increase does not align with the tournament's market and organizational value, nor with the increasing commitments.

The French national team will begin its tournament campaign against Senegal on June 13 in Boston, USA, with Les Bleus looking to overcome both financial and technical hurdles at the outset of their World Cup journey.