Taeguk Warriors to get up to 100 million won as World Cup qualification bonus

The Korean Football Association finalized a bonus scheme for footballers called up for the final qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup based on performance, with a maximum payout of 100 million won.

From left, Lee Kang-in, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Bae Jun-ho celebrate after scoring a goal against Kuwait in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on June 10. [NEWS1]

Players on the Korean national football team who contributed to the country’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive performance bonuses of up to 100 million won ($71,720) each.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) finalized the reward plan during a board meeting held Tuesday at its headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul.

The KFA will distribute around 2.75 billion won in bonuses to 39 eligible players out of the 54 who were called up for the final round of Asian qualifiers. Based on performance criteria, players will receive bonuses in five tiers: 100 million won, 80 million won, 60 million won, 25 million won and 15 million won.

In 2022, when Korea qualified for the Qatar World Cup, the KFA divided players into four tiers and awarded bonuses to 30 players. This time, the association expanded the number of tiers to five and eased the eligibility criteria to ensure more players benefit from the reward scheme.

Coaching staff will receive compensation in accordance with their contractual terms. Members of the support staff will also receive bonuses based on specific guidelines.

The board also completed the appointment of members to the KFA's certification committee, which is responsible for certifying match facilities and equipment. The eight-member committee includes individuals with playing, engineering, production, equipment and facility backgrounds. Newly appointed competition committee chair Kim Hyun-tae will serve concurrently as certification committee chair upon recommendation from the KFA, in accordance with regulations.

The board also reviewed and approved a report on surplus revenue from the 2017 U-20 World Cup. The 5.16 billion won in surplus funds will be used for the construction of the Korea Football Center in Cheonan, South Chungcheong.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY PARK RIN [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]