FIFA is thought to have earned around £3.8 billion in ticket and hospitality sales from the World Cup this summer, five times more than it made at the tournament in Qatar four years ago.
The World Cup in North America was the first to feature 104 matches, after FIFA increased the number of qualifying nations and introduced an extra knockout round. The additional 40 games compared with 2022 allowed football's governing body to benefit financially, with record fees generated.
Revenue exceeds expectations
The Times has reported that the figure, which was not confirmed by the organisation, far exceeded what FIFA anticipated to earn and contributed to its overall World Cup revenue of $15bn (£11.27bn).
FIFA president Gianni Infantino had to regularly defend the ticket prices set for matches, which were exceedingly high. The Football Supporters Association in England called the prices “scandalous”.
Infantino defends pricing
Infantino maintained that FIFA, a non-profit organisation, would be ploughing the money back into the development of football around the globe. He also underlined that FIFA have one month every four years during which they raise money. Ticket and hospitality revenue at the World Cup in Qatar was $929m (£697m).
He said: “The World Cup takes place one month every four years, so we generate money in one month. The 47 months until the next World Cup, we spend that money. What many people don’t know, because of course we generate billions in a World Cup, people don’t know FIFA is a non-for profit organisation. Which means all the revenue we generate, we invest them in the organisation of the game, in 211 countries all over the world. Three quarters of which probably would not be able to have organised football without the grants we could give them, so we always try to find the right balance.”
Dynamic pricing and resale cuts
The revenue generated by FIFA owed to its new dynamic pricing policy, which meant figures were dictated by demand rather than a universal number being set. FIFA also took a 30 percent cut from any resale, where tickets were often found at sky-high prices that were multiple times the face value.
Infantino himself remains under pressure to keep his role at the top of the organisation, with several continental federations, including UEFA, wanting him to be removed from his post. The FIFA boss outlined a plan to sell off stakes in the governing body's competitions to private investors, with the promise of a cash injection for those who backed it, but they u-turned within days.
