The $13bn World Cup: how the numbers stack up on Fifa’s 2026 balance sheet

The earnings from the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada will make it the most lucrative competition in the history of sport, even if some of the 48 competing countries say they are struggling to make ends meet.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Pic: AP Photo/Bruna Prado

A World Cup that Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, billed at the draw last December as “the greatest event that humanity has ever seen” will certainly be the most lucrative competition in sporting history.

Fifa has spent the last few years upgrading its revenue projections, with the most recent financial report stating that the world governing body will make $13bn from the four-year cycle culminating in this summer’s tournament, almost $9bn of which will be brought in this year.