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Robben Island - Bafana Bafana will walk away with $8m in prize money even if they don't make it past the first round of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

This is in addition to a $1m amount for "preparations" which has already been paid over, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke announced on Thursday.

And FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Ireland could be in line for "moral compensation" - which would not be cash - for its defeat at the hands of French captain Thierry Henry.

They were addressing a media briefing on Robben Island, following a meeting of the FIFA executive at the iconic site.

Valcke said total prize money for next year's tournament had been set at $420m.

This represents a 61% increase on the 2006 total of $261m.

The winning team will get $30m and the runner-up $24m.

At the bottom end of the scale, the lowest 16 teams would get $8m each. Every team had already been paid $1m.

"It is what we call a million for the preparations," he said.

Valcke also announced that $40m had been set aside for clubs whose players would take part in national teams. Part of this amount was to cover the cost of insuring those players. Clubs who contribute players to teams competing in the World Cup will get $1 600 per day, per player.

Blatter, replying to a question on whether he thought the Irish should be compensated for the match that kept them out of the last 32, said if one started to compensate teams that did not qualify, others would also come forward. FIFA had just been notified of a similar handball incident in the match between Ecuador and Uruguay.

He said when there had been foul play "then maybe there will be moral compensation for the Football Association of Ireland: we will look at it".

"Moral compensation can mean anything which comes from a compliment to a special award or to a prize."

However this would have to be discussed with the Irish.

"Financial compensation is not exactly what is foreseen in such cases."

Valcke announced that FIFA had decided to increase the number of teams participating in the womens' world cup from the 16 that would be playing in Germany in 2011, to 24 in 2015.

The executive had also confirmed Iraq's suspension from international soccer because of political interference in the country's football association.

During Thursday's meeting, the FIFA executive was addressed by former island prisoner Tokyo Sexwale, who served as an office bearer of the prisoners' Makana Football Association.

Blatter told journalists it was his third visit to the island.

It was a "great moment" for the executive to have met on the island.

"For me personally it is part of the story of humanity," he said.