The 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered on its promise as the biggest show in football and the richest. While Spain lifted the trophy after a tense 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium, the real headline belonged to FIFA’s bank account. The expanded 48-team tournament generated over $9 billion in direct revenue, cementing its status as the most profitable sports event in history.
According to NEXTA, FIFA made more than $9 billion from this football tournament, which was the first with 48 teams and 104 matches. Broadcasting, sponsorships, hospitality, and ticket sales were the sources of income from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. CNBC and Fortune predictions were about $9 billion tournament earnings, as well as the whole 2023-2026 commercial cycle that was valued at around $13 billion, a 72% increase in comparison with the previous one.
During the additional period of play, Spain beat Argentina with the score of 1-0; the winner was Ferran Torres. Enzo Fernández was sent off from the field in Argentina’s team, and hence, they continued playing with ten people in the team. Each of the 48 participating teams was paid more than $12.5 million, whereas Spain, being the winners, were paid approximately $51 million, Argentina was paid between $33-34 million, and England was paid $29-30 million.
But soon, the joy began to sour for the Spanish team. FIFA had begun investigating everything that occurred after the match. It turned out that Leandro Paredes taunted Eric Garcia and Gavi, whereas Nahuel Molina taunted Rodri, and Roberto Ayala, an assistant coach, was at loggerheads with Dani Olmo. Moreover, some players of the Argentine team turned their back on the celebrations of the victory of the Spanish team. The mentioned occurrences have been reported by such news agencies as Sky Sports, BBC, and The Independent.
Rights to broadcast provided around $3.9 billion, ticketing and hospitality above $3 billion due to dynamic pricing and premium packages. Sponsorships brought almost $2 billion. The attendance stood at 6.66 million people with full capacities for games. Critics pointed out high-priced tickets starting from $60 to $10,000.
President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, was responsible for advocating the expansion, although there are still doubts regarding the allocation of the revenues and cost of hosting cities.
Spain’s victory, high financial figures and controversies will remain in people’s memory as major events of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With FIFA striving for growth and development, the contradiction between the financial side of football and its spirit remains unresolved.
