The world’s biggest sporting tournament has drawn to a close with Spain’s win after a long battle, and its organiser, FIFA, has earned record revenue from the glittering event. Football’s world governing body is set to formally announce a record $15 billion in revenue, The Guardian’s online edition reported.
The mega event earned far more than expected. Before the tournament, FIFA had set a revenue target of $11 billion, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed to member associations on Saturday that earnings had exceeded all estimates. According to the report, at today’s exchange rate (1 dollar = 123.12 taka), FIFA’s total revenue comes to about 1,84,680 crore taka in Bangladeshi currency.
FIFA sources said the biggest role in the huge revenue increase was played by special hospitality packages and enormous ticket demand, with a large share coming from the high-priced “secondary ticket market.” Under the rules, FIFA charges 15 percent from the buyer and another 15 percent from the seller — 30 percent in total — on secondary-market ticket sales. On Saturday, the day before the final, VIP and hospitality packages for the Spain-Argentina final in New Jersey were seen on FIFA’s ticket portal as “Trophy Lounge” packages selling for up to $34,500 per person (about 42,48,000 taka).
FIFA’s member football associations are also expected to benefit from this bumper revenue, though the final details of how the extra money will be distributed among them have not yet been drawn up. This huge financial success is expected to further strengthen Gianni Infantino’s position in football, after the month-long tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Controversy had erupted recently over allegations that FIFA had bowed to pressure from US President Donald Trump to suspend the red card shown to American striker Folarin Balogun in the last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although there is anger among European football associations over the matter, more than 200 member associations have already confirmed their support for Infantino in the next FIFA election, due in March 2027, and dissatisfied countries may not protest publicly given the extra World Cup money on offer.
This unprecedented financial success could give the United States a chance to host the World Cup again in the near future. The US has expressed interest in bidding again for the next open tournament, the 2038 World Cup. At a reception, Trump confirmed his country was willing to host it again, this time expressing a desire to host alone without Canada and Mexico. The US is also in talks with FIFA about hosting the 2029 Club World Cup.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report