World Cup revenue surpasses expectations

Ticket sales and other hospitality services during the 2026 World Cup generated more than 5 billion dollars, according to The Times, which reported that this amount is more than five times the revenue from the previous World Cup in Qatar.

FIFA's revenue projections exceeded

The British newspaper cited well-informed sources on the tournament's finances, confirming the figure exceeded FIFA's budget forecasts of 3.3 billion dollars. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had previously announced that the 2026 World Cup, co-organized by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, generated 15 billion dollars in revenue.

More matches, higher revenue

This increase is attributed in part to the number of matches, which rose from 64 in 2022 to 104 in 2026. The Times noted that the significant increase in revenue is more related to FIFA's dynamic pricing policy for tickets and the 30 percent commission taken from all resales.

Criticism of ticket pricing

The Athletic, the sports website of the New York Times, described this pricing policy as widely criticized, recalling that initial ticket prices were the highest in the history of the World Cup. As an example, The Athletic cited that tickets for the final held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 started at 4,185 dollars—seven times the price of the cheapest ticket for the final in Qatar in 2022.

Affordable options introduced

However, following a backlash, FIFA put 1,000 tickets on sale at 60 dollars for each of the 104 matches. FIFA did not confirm the 5 billion dollar figure when contacted by The Times, but a spokesperson assured that the revenue from the World Cup would allow additional assistance to be provided to the 211 federations.

FIFA Surplus Solidarity Program

According to a FIFA spokesperson cited by The Athletic, this assistance could amount to 6.35 billion dollars over the period 2027-2030, within the framework of a so-called "FIFA Surplus Solidarity Program."