World Cup 2018: FA set for huge cash windfall from third-place play-off… and here’s what everyone else wins
Football Association guaranteed at least £16.6million but would pocket a cool £18.1m should England beat Belgium
FOOTBALL bosses could bank a staggering £18.1million in Fifa prize money if England win the third place play-off today.
The FA are guaranteed a major payday and will even receive £16.6m if Gareth Southgate’s side lose in St Petersburg.
This is a big contrast to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when England received just £6m in prize money after going out in the group stages.
Elsewhere at the 2018 tournament, the champions - either France or Croatia - will rake in a whopping £29m; nearly ten per cent of the total pot.
The unlucky runners-up will still pocket a cool £21m, though.
It has also been revealed that the 16 sides knocked-out in the group stages walked home with £6m - the same as four years ago in South America.
How much each World Cup team has earned
WINNERS - £29m
RUNNERS-UP - £21m
THIRD - £18.1m
FOURTH - £16.6m
QUARTER-FINALISTS - £13.5m
LAST-16 - £9m
GROUP STAGE - £6m
TOTAL POT - £302m
Those knocked out in the last-16, including Colombia, took £9m with them, while losing quarter-finalists pocketed £13.5m.
Meanwhile, Gary Lineker has revealed he will be “thrilled” if Harry Kane breaks his 32-year World Cup scoring record.
England captain Kane leads the Golden Boot charts with six goals from the finals in Russia.
Only Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (four goals) and French duo Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe (both 3) can stop the Three Lions striker now.