According to Cash N Sport, Bafana’s journey to the World Cup round of 32 earned SAFA $11 million in FIFA prize money, confirmed under FIFA’s official 2026 distribution structure.
SAFA’s internal bonus policy allocated 23 percent of that to the players, a pool of $2.53 million split equally among the 26-man squad, roughly $97,300, or about R1.586 million, per player.
Coach Hugo Broos earned considerably more under SAFA’s technical staff structure, a flat 10 percent of the prize money, taking home $1.1 million, more than 11 times an individual player’s share. Assistant Helman Mkhalele received a further 5 percent, around $550,000.
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These figures reflect only SAFA’s FIFA-linked bonus structure, excluding any additional bonuses pledged by Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, which remain unconfirmed.
For context, FIFA’s total prize pool this World Cup was $655 million, dwarfed by the $1 billion pool at last year’s expanded Club World Cup, a reminder of the growing gap between club and international football finances.
Bafana Players And Coaches World Cup Earnings Explained pic.twitter.com/2b6kKH4jAH
— Cash N Sport (@CashNSport) July 24, 2026
Photo: REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez
