Do World Cup stars get paid for winning Player of the Match? The truth behind the trophy
First awarded at the men’s World Cup in 2002, the Player of the Match prize goes to the top performer in each tournament game.
At the FIFA World Cup, the Player of the Match award is presented to the standout performer in every game. It’s an honor that has been handed out at the tournament since 2002, although world soccer’s governing body has modified the selection process several times.
During the first two editions that featured the award - Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006 - the Player of the Match was chosen by a technical study group appointed by the tournament organizers. The process later evolved, and since South Africa 2010, the winner has been determined through a real-time fan vote conducted on FIFA’s official website.
How much money does a World Cup Player of the Match receive?
As surprising as it may sound, the Player of the Match award is purely honorary and does not come with any financial prize from FIFA. The same applies to other individual World Cup honors, including the Golden Ball, Golden Boot and Golden Glove.
As a result, any financial benefit tied to these awards is indirect - whether through increased prestige, enhanced market value, or performance bonuses from sponsors. FIFA itself does not provide a specific cash reward for winning any of these individual accolades beyond the sporting recognition they carry. Financial prizes are distributed through the national federations, with the tournament champion receiving the top team award of $50 million.
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