France will collect $9 million (about £5.4 million) just for turning up at next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa. Ireland will also get a prize — probably a nice certificate or trophy to remind them that they were eliminated from the world’s richest football tournament by an illegal act.

The row over Thierry Henry’s handball, which led to the decisive goal by William Gallas in the qualification play-off last month, refuses to go away and even Fifa’s attempts to put some soothing balm on Ireland’s wounds increased the pain.

Fifa’s executive committee met yesterday on Robben Island, the home to the jail where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, and they unlocked the biggest treasure chest in the history of the World Cup. The total prize pot to be shared between the 32 teams is up by more than 60 per cent over the 2006 tournament in Germany to $420 million. The winning team will collect $30 million in prize money, with the runners-up taking home $24 million.

Teams in the semi-finals get $20 million and quarter-finalists $18 million. Just getting out of the group stage, though, is worth $9 million, while all teams who go out at the group stage get $8 million. The payouts start before the teams leave home, with Fifa sending them $1 million to help them to cover their preparation costs.

Money will be the last thing on the minds of the Irish, but heaps of salt will be rubbed into their wounds if they are forced to watch France march through the rounds, picking up more prize money as they go.

Ireland had made a forlorn plea to Fifa to become the 33rd team at the tournament after their controversial elimination at the hand of Henry.

Fifa refused to allow the idea but Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, who has condemned Henry, has asked his executive to consider “moral compensation”. What that will be is something of a mystery.

Fifa have also moved to head off any potential claims from clubs for players injured during the World Cup. Fifa has set up a $40 million fund to pay clubs who send players to the month-long tournament, which kicks off at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium on June 11, 2010.

“Every club who has a player at the World Cup will receive $1,600 per day, per player,” Jérôme Valcke, the Fifa general secretary, said. “The money will be paid 15 days before the start of the tournament and to one day after the player’s participation ends.”

The money will be paid to the clubs through their national associations. As part of that package, clubs have agreed not to pursue any claims or any possible compensation through civil courts, but only go through Fifa or the Court of Arbitration for Sport.