Prize Money in the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup Compared to Other Major Sports
The ICC T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup is nearing its conclusion. On June 29th, the winning team’s captain will lift the glittering trophy, and the team will be awarded USD 2.45 million, the highest sum ever offered in the tournament’s history. The runner-up will receive USD 1.28 million, and the total prize pool of USD 11.25 million will be distributed among various teams.
How does this prize money compare to other major sports? A brief comparison reveals significantly higher figures in sports such as tennis, boxing, and golf. In these individual sports, winners often take home substantial amounts since there is no team to share the prize with.
Tennis Prize Money In tennis, the US Open offers a total prize pool of USD 65 million, with the men’s and women’s singles winners each receiving USD 3 million. The 2024 French Open had a prize pool of USD 58.25 million, awarding USD 2.6 million each to the men’s and women’s singles champions.
Wimbledon’s prize money has also been increasing steadily. This year, it rose by 14 percent compared to last year, with the men’s and women’s singles winners each receiving GBP 2.7 million. Thus, winners at these Grand Slam tournaments earn more than the entire cricket team that will win the ICC T20 World Cup.
Golf Prize Money Top golfers earn even more. In 2022, the winner of the prestigious FedEx Cup received USD 18 million out of a total pool of USD 75 million.
Football and Boxing Earnings Football players, despite playing a team sport, earn massive amounts through individual contracts. Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, became the first footballer to surpass USD 1 billion in lifetime earnings from various sources.
Boxing is one of the most lucrative sports today. World championship title bouts generate hundreds of millions of dollars, rewarding both winners and losers handsomely. The top five boxers have a combined net worth of USD 1.4 billion. Floyd Mayweather is estimated to have earned over USD 400 million during his career, while George Foreman earned USD 300 million from boxing and advertisements. Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury has a personal net worth of about USD 85 million.
Cricket Earnings in Perspective While cricketers may be extremely wealthy by Indian standards, their earnings are modest compared to the world’s top sportsmen. However, the Indian cricket team commands the love and respect of 1.4 billion Indians. Winning the ICC T20 World Cup would generate emotions throughout India that are more valuable than any amount of money. As former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said: “Money may buy you a comfortable life, but ecstasy comes only from achieving great victories.”
