FIFA expected to generate around $5bn from World Cup ticket and hospitality sales

Key Points:

• FIFA is projected to earn approximately $5 billion from ticket and hospitality sales at the 2026 World Cup, over five times the $929 million generated from the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
• The 2026 World Cup featured 104 matches, 40 more than the 64 matches held in Qatar, contributing to the significant increase in revenue.
• FIFA implemented dynamic pricing and took a 30% cut from ticket resales, restricting secondary market sales to their own platform to prevent revenue loss to touts and ensure reinvestment into global football.
• Despite criticism over high ticket prices, including a formal complaint to the European Commission, FIFA defended the costs as reflective of the North American market and introduced a limited number of $60 tickets for each match.
• FIFA reported a 99.7% occupancy rate with 6.81 million attendees and plans to use tournament revenues to fund global football development through initiatives like the FIFA Surplus Solidarity Programme, aiming to increase funding to $6.35 billion for 2027-2030.