FIFA World Cup 2026 could generate over $15bn in revenue

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the outstanding success of the FIFA World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has created new investment opportunities for global football, with the tournament expected to help FIFA generate more than $15 billion in revenue.

Addressing representatives of FIFA's 211 member associations in New York ahead of the World Cup final, Infantino said FIFA is a non-profit organisation that reinvests the income generated from its tournaments into the development of football around the world.

He said FIFA's total revenue for the 2023-2026 financial cycle is projected to exceed $15 billion, describing it as a historic milestone for the global growth of the sport.

According to Infantino, the commercial success of the 2026 World Cup has opened up new financial and business opportunities for FIFA. He said the additional resources would be used to support member associations and expand football development programmes across all regions.

The FIFA president stressed that financial success is directly linked to the quality of the game, adding that sound decisions on the field will continue to drive commercial growth off the field.

Infantino also announced plans to increase funding for FIFA's 2027-2030 development programme to $2.7 billion, nearly eight times higher than the amount allocated when the programme was first launched.

He added that during his presidency, FIFA has already invested $5.1 billion in football development projects for member associations worldwide and pledged to further expand that investment in the coming years.