Fifa’s $13bn World Cup cash machine sparks scrutiny of its finances

{"text":[[{"start":8.45,"text":"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."}],[{"start":29.05,"text":"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."}],[{"start":45.35,"text":"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."}],[{"start":65.2,"text":"Fifa, a Zurich-based not-for-profit organisation, expects to earn close to $4bn from television rights from this World Cup and about $1.8bn from sponsorships, including its deal with oil company Saudi Aramco, double the amount raised from the previous cycle."}],[{"start":81.75,"text":"However, the biggest increase comes from ticket sales and hospitality, forecast to more than treble to more than $3bn this year. That growth is in part because of Fifa’s move to expand the tournament from 64 games to 104, but also from far higher ticket prices and fees from ticket trading."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":100.55,"text":"Some believe the final number may be considerably higher. Richard Sheehan, finance professor at the University of Notre Dame, estimated Fifa may ultimately earn more than $7bn from tickets and VIP boxes. "}],[{"start":114.25,"text":"Fifa launched its own official ticket resale platform for this World Cup, and charges 15 per cent from the buyer and seller on all transactions. For every $1,000 of tickets resold on the site, Fifa earns a further $300. "}],[{"start":129.1,"text":"Earnings from the tournament are used to fund Fifa’s global operations for the rest of the cycle. Some of it will be used to replenish Fifa’s reserves, which dipped from $3.9bn after Qatar to $2.7bn as of December 2025. The governing body operates a budget that targets a surplus over each cycle of $100mn. "}],[{"start":152.7,"text":"But Fifa’s commercially minded approach has drawn a fierce backlash. Fan groups estimate the price of following a team to the final is more than five times that of 2022 and have accused the organisers of betraying the traditions of the World Cup. The attorneys-general of New York and New Jersey have launched probes into what they describe as “impossibly high” ticket prices. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":174.79999999999998,"text":"Ronan Evain, head of Football Supporters Europe, said: “In any sporting organisation, the job of the people in charge of marketing and ticketing is to make as much money as possible. So they will come up with these stupid schemes. But the role of the political leadership is to balance against it. There hasn’t been this balancing from Gianni.”"}],[{"start":194.54999999999998,"text":"Fifa has responded to complaints about prices by introducing a small number of cheaper tickets but insisted its ticketing policies were in line with the local market for big events. "}],[{"start":205.2,"text":"The decision to expand the tournament has also been contentious and formed part of a legal complaint against Fifa filed by Fifpro, the players union, and European Leagues, a body representing domestic football leagues in Europe. They accused Fifa of using its regulatory power “to promote its commercial interests” at the expense of players and leagues."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":228.39999999999998,"text":"The governing body is also drawing scrutiny for how it spends its money. The tournament itself is set to cost about $3.8bn to stage, including more prize money for participating teams. "}],[{"start":242.2,"text":"However, host cities and national governments face bills for additional security, transportation and the cost of putting on fan festivals. Some cities and states have opted to sharply increase train fares in order to make up the shortfall, drawing further complaints from fans, or pared back plans for fan parks."}],[{"start":260.7,"text":"The bulk of Fifa’s budgeted spending — about $3.9bn — has been allocated to “development and education”, principally the Fifa Forward programme that sends money to the 211 member associations to spend on football locally. "}],[{"start":275.25,"text":"Under the scheme, each association is entitled to $8mn over the four-year cycle, regardless of size, including $3mn that must be used for “well-planned, specific football projects”, such as building new facilities. These payments to members have increased eightfold under Infantino. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":293.95,"text":"Fifa said it was “focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans”, and that its ticketing strategy spanned “a broad range of price points”. Revenue generated by the World Cup “is reinvested to support the development of men’s, women’s and youth football across all 211 Member Associations, every day of the year”, it added. "}],[{"start":314.7,"text":"Yet critics complain Fifa’s approach of giving flat annual fees regardless of size has done little to develop the game in larger countries, such as India or Indonesia, and question where the money goes. For the tiny Atlantic island of Montserrat, for example, Fifa’s payments equate to about $2,000 per cycle per inhabitant, while for India, it is half of one US cent per person."}],[{"start":339.05,"text":"“It would be generous to say that Fifa’s accounting is opaque,” said Sheehan of Notre Dame. “With a Taylor Swift concert, you’re paying $800 but you know where the money’s going. With Fifa, you’re paying $1,000 or whatever it might be, and you don’t know where the money’s going. That’s a problem.”"}],[{"start":357.2,"text":"Fifa said that investments made through member associations were “systematically monitored and audited by an independent auditor”. The organisation pointed to the fact that smaller nations, such as Cape Verde, had been able to qualify for this World Cup only thanks to the organisation’s funding, and that many members would be unable to operate without Fifa’s financial support. Uefa, which governs the game in Europe, operates a similar system that provides up to €17mn to each of its members every four years. "}],[{"start":387.45,"text":"However, some see the distributions as a way of fostering loyalty when Fifa’s members vote on big decisions. Infantino was re-elected in 2023 after running unopposed and is expected to be granted another four-year term next year. The decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia was decided by acclamation on a video call. "}],[{"start":410.2,"text":"“It makes sense from a voting perspective,” Sheehan said. “But in terms of growing the game, it doesn’t fit.”"}],[{"start":416.8,"text":"Fifa said the suggestion that annual distributions were linked to voting decisions was “ridiculous” and “misinformed”. The governing body also said it was “more efficient, better governed and better aligned with its objectives” than in the past, and was now a “trusted partner for international agencies, NGOs and leading global brands”."}],[{"start":447.15,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1780894337_4193.mp3"}