WAFCON 2026 prize money doubled as CAF announces record $5.8m payout

The winners of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will receive double the prize money of the last edition, after African football’s governing body announced a dramatic increase in financial rewards for the continent’s showpiece women’s tournament.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Wednesday that the champions in Morocco will earn $2m (£1.55m), a 100% rise on the winners’ cheque from the 2024 tournament, which was staged in 2025.

Overall, the total prize pot for all participating teams has soared to $5.8m (£4.5m), up from $975,000 – a rise of 495% since Patrice Motsepe became CAF president.

Record rewards as Motsepe era reshapes WAFCON

CAF confirmed that the runners-up in the 2026 competition will receive $750,000 (£582,000), an increase of 50% compared with the previous edition.

The team finishing third will earn $500,000 (£388,000), up 43%, while each of the 16 participating national sides will be guaranteed a participation fee of $150,000 (£116,000), a 20% uplift.

CAF said the latest adjustments mean prize money for WAFCON winners has grown by 900% under Motsepe’s leadership, highlighting the governing body’s attempt to elevate the women’s game on the continent through significantly enhanced financial incentives.

Expanded tournament and World Cup berths

This year’s WAFCON is the largest in the competition’s history, with the tournament expanded to 16 teams after four additional nations were added to the line-up.

The finals will be staged in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, kicking off on Sunday and running until 16 August 2026.

The stakes are heightened by the tournament’s dual role as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The four semi-finalists in Morocco will all secure automatic qualification for the global finals.

Growing platform for women’s football in Africa

The expansion of the tournament format, combined with the sharp rise in prize money, underlines CAF’s strategy to turn WAFCON into a more commercially and competitively attractive event.

By increasing both performance bonuses and basic participation payments, CAF is seeking to ease financial pressures on associations and encourage greater investment in women’s national teams ahead of, during and after the competition.

With more teams involved, higher stakes on offer and a World Cup berth on the line for four nations, the 2026 edition in Rabat is expected to be the most competitive and financially lucrative Women’s Africa Cup of Nations to date.