FIFA Bathes in Money – World Cup Revenue Increased Fivefold

2026-10-29 15:29 © SIPA

FIFA earned around £3.8 billion from ticket sales and VIP hospitality packages for this summer’s World Cup in North America.

That is almost five times more than during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when £697 million was generated from these sources.

According to The Times, FIFA has not officially confirmed these figures yet, but it is reported that the revenue far exceeded the organization’s expectations.

This sum accounts for part of the approximately £11.27 billion in revenue expected from the World Cup.

The expanded 2026 tournament featured 104 matches—40 more than in 2022. This happened after FIFA increased the number of participating national teams and introduced an additional knockout stage.

Nevertheless, the impressive revenue has also drawn considerable criticism because of the extremely high ticket prices.

It is also reported that FIFA charged a 30 percent fee on resold tickets. On some resale platforms, tickets were offered at several times their original price.