Fifa is set to earn billions of dollars from selling World Cup match tickets and hospitality over the next five weeks, as the transformation of football’s governing body into a commercial juggernaut under president Gianni Infantino reaches new heights. But critics question how the money is spent and the transparency of the organisation’s finances.
Global football’s governing body expects the four-year cycle that ends with this summer’s World Cup to generate $13bn, of which $8.9bn will come from this tournament itself. The competition held in the US, Mexico and Canada kicks off on Thursday.
That is 72 per cent up from the previous cycle that concluded with the last World Cup in Qatar and more than double the $6.4bn from the 2015-18 period. The final figure could increase further, as Fifa outperformed its projections for Qatar 2022 by more than $1bn.