Spain's World Cup winners face massive tax bill, each player loses up to €370,000

Spain's World Cup-winning squad faced an immediate financial setback after their historic 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final, as a substantial tax bill quickly followed their triumph.

Luis de la Fuente's side dominated proceedings at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday night and secured an extra-time winner through Ferran Torres.

Bonus Payments

According to Gestha, the Spanish union representing Tax Agency experts, each of the 26 squad members is set to receive a gross payout of €754,701.92 (£640,500) for winning the World Cup.

The sum aligns with the agreement reached with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), under which players were to receive 45% of the prize money FIFA awards to the governing body for winning the tournament — a total of approximately €44 million (£37.3 million) .

As a result, around €19.8 million (£16.8 million) will go to the players, after they reportedly agreed to collect major bonuses only if they reached the latter rounds.

Tax Deductions

The players immediately had to part with a significant portion of that cash due to income tax. Depending on where they play their club football, Spanish players' personal income tax reaches 49.5% in some cases and around 45% in others, amounting to each player losing a maximum of €370,000 (£314,000) to tax.

Players in Spanish Leagues

The 17 squad members currently playing in Spain are subject to the country's personal income tax (IRPF) regulations, specifically those of the Autonomous Community where they reside. Given their high income levels, the entire bonus falls into the highest marginal tax bracket.

Tax rates vary by region:

• Community of Madrid: Approximately 45%
• Basque Country: 49%
• Catalonia: 47% to 49.5%

In the best-case scenario, a player competing in Spain would receive a total of €385,000 (£327,000) in bonus payments. If the rate rises to 49.5%, that figure drops to €353,500 (£300,000) .

Players required to declare these amounts under these strict conditions include:

• Lamine Yamal
• Dani Olmo
• Pau Cubarsi
• Eric Garcia
• Joan Garcia
• Marc Pubill
• Ferran Torres
• Pedri
• Gavi

Spain's public treasury will benefit significantly, with squad members playing in the Spanish league paying a total of around £5 million in taxes.

Players in Foreign Leagues

The situation differs for international players competing abroad, such as:

• Mikel Merino
• Pedro Porro
• Martin Zubimendi
• David Raya
• Victor Munoz
• Fabian Ruiz
• Rodri

They are subject to different tax regulations based on their country of residence.