Why Will World Champions Spain Pay $15 Million to the USA?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup winner the Spain national team has faced unexpected financial expenses. It has been revealed that a portion of the prize money earned for the championship will be paid as taxes in accordance with US fiscal legislation, according to Fox News .

According to reports, under US law, foreign non-residents who generate income within the country must pay a 30 percent federal tax on that income, unless exemptions are established through double taxation treaties.

The Spain national team earned a total of $50 million in prize money for their World Cup victory. However, the US side assessed the players not as a unified team, but as individual persons. Therefore, the tax base was calculated individually for each player.

As a result, the Spain national team may have to pay up to $15 million in taxes to the US budget.

The report notes that US Congress representatives emphasized that the European team should have familiarized themselves with the current tax rules in advance. At the same time, some members of the House of Representatives criticized such a high tax rate applied to athletes and stated the need to revise it.