FIFA 2026 World Cup Financial Insights: Expenditure And Revenue Breakdown. In 2026, North America is getting ready to host the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the biggest global soccer competition. Fans from around the world will gather to watch the games in 16 amazing host cities, spread across three countries. This World Cup will be even bigger than before, with more teams and matches.
The previous World Cup was held in Qatar in 2022 and drew millions of fans who either attended or watched on TV. The upcoming tournament promises to be even more exciting! FIFA assessed each potential host city by evaluating city and state infrastructure quality, examining transportation options like airports, trains, and roads, ensuring fair treatment of people, and inspecting stadium facilities for the enjoyment of fans at locations designated for team training sites.
Powering Economic Growth: The FIFA World Cup 2026 Sparks Investment and Draws Global Visitors
Prepare for the largest FIFA World Cup in North America, spanning the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. International visitors will flock in June and July. Extensive funds are being directed towards improving infrastructure in these places. The 16 host cities are gearing up for an unprecedented influx of visitors.
Hosting this iconic sports event presents a golden opportunity for cities to gain fame and substantial revenue. Global fans will boost tourism income, particularly through accommodation demand like hotels and short-term rentals, benefitting property owners.
The North American World Cup is expected to generate $5 billion and 400,000 jobs, a significant economic boost!
FIFA 2026 Budget
In response to the expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and FIFA World Cup, FIFA has formulated a ground-breaking budget for 2023-2026 to increase funding for soccer development. While the initial budget was based on the match schedule at that time, the FIFA Council later sanctioned significant changes in December 2022.
The budgets for 2023-2026 and 2024 have been approved by the FIFA Finance Committee and FIFA Council. The FIFA Congress will grant the final endorsement of these budgets in March 2023.
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2023-2026 FIFA Budget Division
Compared to before, the 2023-2026 budget expects a significantly larger income of $11 billion, an increase of $4.56 billion. This increase is due to higher earnings from TV broadcasting rights ($964 million), increased marketing rights ($927 million), an additional $66 million from licensing rights, a boost of $2.589 billion from ticket sales and hospitality rights, and an extra $14 million from other revenue sources.
TV Broadcasting Budget & Revenue
The sale of television broadcasting rights is expected to generate a total budgeted revenue of $4,264 million. The favorable global coverage provided by North American time zones for the FIFA World Cup 2026, along with an expanded match schedule, creates a strong foundation for rights commercialization, with 43% of these rights already contracted for the cycle.
Marketing Rights
FIFA has set a budget of $2,693 million for marketing rights sales. As of December 31, 2022, they have already secured 21% of these rights. FIFA is introducing a new global commercial partnership structure and various packages to give companies more options and flexibility in engaging with global football and important cultural events. This enables brands to establish dedicated partnerships linked to women’s football or esports/gaming.
Visa and Xero, FIFA’s inaugural Women’s Football Partners, contribute to the ongoing growth of women’s football. FIFA is actively exploring commercial prospects and expects to sign new sponsors for the forthcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. Anticipation is high for the expanded FIFA World Cup in 2026 as part of the men’s commercialization program.
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Licensing Right
FIFA has allocated a budget of $669 million for licensing rights, primarily centered around brand licensing, where FIFA receives payment through royalties. Additionally, FIFA is expanding its global presence by enhancing its licensing program, which now features a year-round online marketplace. They anticipate that the revenue generated from licensing rights will surpass the budget of the previous cycle.
Hospitality & Ticket Sales
A record budget of $3,097 million has been allocated for hospitality and ticket sales. The FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the USA across 16 Host Cities with state-of-the-art stadiums, play a key role in this increase. Shifting from the outsourced rights fee model to an in-house strategic approach drives hospitality sales. Modern stadiums with attractive features will allow fans from around the world to explore various packages and enjoy unique experiences during the event.
Other Revenues
The budget for other revenue and income is $277 million, generated from sources like the FIFA Quality Programme, the Olympic Football Tournaments, video rights sales, the FIFA Museum, penalties and appeals, rental income, and other sources.
