2026 World Cup – the most expensive in football history

2026-07-24 15:19 © scanpix

The recently concluded World Championship has entered the sports annals as the most expensive event in football history.

According to the English press, this was determined by several reasons.

First of all, 48 teams competed for the winners' trophy, and the tournament took place in three countries – the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

FIFA has projected expenditures of about 12.9 billion USD for the 2023-2026 cycle, of which approximately 3.756 billion USD was allocated solely for the World Championship.

This is nearly double the amount spent for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The expenditures of the states and cities were not included in this sum – the countries themselves had to finance security, transportation, fan zones, and infrastructure projects.

It is noted that FIFA, having spent an enormous amount, is already counting record revenues. Over the four-year cycle, it is expected to accumulate 13 billion USD, and just for the planet's championships – 8.9 billion USD.