How much does a World Cup referee make? Salary details and more for 2026 FIFA final officials

How much does a World Cup referee make? Salary details and more for 2026 FIFA final officials originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It's not just the players who are making solid money at the 2026 World Cup.

The referee payment scale is simple. Every tournament match comes with its own paycheck for the officials in the middle, and reffing the final is worth significantly more than officiating a first-round group-stage game. With the 2026 final approaching on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, here's what FIFA is paying the referees, assistant referees and VAR officials working this tournament.MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

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Reporting on FIFA's fee structure, which the governing body doesn't publish in an official table, puts a main referee's baseline participation fee at $70,000 for the tournament, on top of $3,000 for every group-stage match and $10,000 for every knockout match they're assigned. Some reporting suggests top referees are guaranteed closer to $100,000 once appearance fees are factored in.

For the officials who work their way to the final and other deep knockout matches, total earnings across the tournament could approach $300,000 once base fees, match fees and late-stage bonuses are all added up.

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How much do assistant referees and VAR officials make?

Assistant referees are on a smaller scale: a $25,000 base fee for the tournament, plus $2,500 per group-stage match and $5,000 per knockout match.

VAR officials are paid similarly, with a $25,000 fixed fee plus $3,000 per group-stage match and $5,000 per knockout match, reflecting how central video review has become to how World Cup matches are officiated.

How does 2026 pay compare to the 2022 World Cup?

Referee pay has climbed noticeably since Qatar 2022, where main referees were paid a $70,000 base fee plus $3,000 per match and assistants received a $25,000 base plus $2,000 per match. The base fee for referees has stayed similar on paper, but the per-match rates for knockout games have jumped considerably for 2026, in line with the bigger overall pot the tournament is generating from its expansion to 48 teams.

On top of all of these figures, FIFA also covers travel, accommodation, meals and daily allowances for every official throughout the tournament, so the match fees are earned on top of a fully funded trip rather than having to cover costs out of pocket.