Indonesia's Failure to Qualify for the World Cup Has Cost it Hundreds of Billions in Revenue

The defeat against Iraq in the fourth round dashed Indonesia's hopes of advancing to the main stage of the 2026 World Cup for the first time since 1938. The failure to reach the World Cup, which was within reach, is not only disheartening in terms of momentum but also financially burdensome.

According to FIFA's latest announcement, Indonesia should be able to secure hundreds of billions in revenue if it manages to qualify for the World Cup.

Through its press release, FIFA announced an increase in the total prize money for the winners of the 2026 World Cup. In addition to the prize amount for the champion, there was also information regarding the financial allocation for each team participating in the four-year event.

For the teams that have secured their places in the World Cup, FIFA has allocated a fund of 1.5 million US dollars (Rp 25 billion). In its official statement, FIFA referred to this fund as the preparation costs for each team ahead of their appearance in the World Cup.

Not stopping there, FIFA has also allocated funds amounting to 9 million US dollars (Rp 150.3 billion). This amount is given to each team that fails to advance from the group stage. Thus, if the Indonesian national team manages to reach the main stage of the World Cup, even if eliminated in the group stage, they should be able to bring home a total revenue of 10.5 million US dollars (Rp 175.4 billion).

"The FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be a breakthrough in terms of its financial contributions to the global football community," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a press release on Wednesday (17/12/2025) evening.

If the revenue for each participating team is already that substantial, the amount they will receive if they advance far will undoubtedly be greater. FIFA has also detailed the "prizes" for teams that manage to progress to the round of 32 and the final.

Teams that were eliminated in the round of 32 should not be too disheartened as they will receive a sum of 11 million US dollars (Rp 183.8 billion). The earnings for teams that advance to the round of 16 are significantly higher. FIFA has allocated 15 million US dollars (Rp 250.6 billion) for each team in the round of 16.

The amount of prize money received in each round increases along with the level of difficulty of the competition. In the quarter-finals, the money received by each team rises to 19 million US dollars (Rp 317.4 billion). Furthermore, teams that advance to the semi-finals will compete for cash prizes for the champion, as well as for second to fourth places.

The World Cup champion will receive a higher prize amount compared to the 2022 edition in Qatar. In its statement, FIFA decided that the prize for the 2026 World Cup champion will be 50 million US dollars (Rp 835.5 billion), which is greater than the 42 million US dollars (Rp 701 billion) awarded to Argentina when they won in Qatar.

Meanwhile, the second-ranked team received 33 million USD (Rp 551 billion), the third-ranked team 29 million USD (Rp 484.5 billion), and the fourth-ranked team 27 million USD (Rp 451 billion). To appreciate the 48 teams participating in the World Cup, FIFA must allocate a total fund of 655 million USD (Rp 10.9 trillion), which is an increase of 50 percent compared to the 2022 edition.

The announcement of an increase in the prize money for the champion team was issued by FIFA following the growing concerns regarding the perceived high ticket prices for the World Cup. FIFA's ticketing policy, which has also faced public criticism, includes the implementation of varying prices depending on the teams competing. For instance, the ticket prices for matches involving powerhouse teams such as Argentina, Brazil, or England will be significantly higher compared to those for smaller teams.

The Chairman of the Football Supporters Association, Tom Greatrex, views FIFA's decision to increase the prize money as concrete evidence that the organization of the World Cup is not facing financial obstacles. For this reason, the calls to evaluate ticket pricing policies continue to flow abundantly.

Input to FIFA to lower the ticket prices for the World Cup was also conveyed by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. He urged FIFA to consider ways to keep World Cup tickets affordable.

Facing criticism, FIFA subsequently released ticket prices that are significantly lower, at only 60 US dollars (Rp 1 million), for 104 matches. FIFA stated that the new, more affordable ticket prices are distributed on a limited basis and are only available to a number of "loyal fans" from the countries that qualified for the World Cup. (BBC)