Also Club World Cup in the Persian Gulf
Controversial World Cup in Qatar showers FIFA with billions
2/14/2023, 7:34 p.m
The controversial World Cup in Qatar flushed a lot of money into FIFA’s coffers. The world football association will take in more than seven billion US dollars from 2019 to 2022. Other numbers are also at record levels. The award of the Club World Cup gives a first indication of the possible host country of the 2030 World Cup.
The world football association FIFA has reported record figures in the billions for the past financial cycle, including the controversial World Cup in Qatar. Revenues totaled $7.568 billion from 2019 to 2022, up more than a billion from the previous period. This emerges from the financial report published by FIFA.
In the World Cup alone, revenue was $5.769 billion. Sales of TV rights accounted for the largest share. Operating profit rose to almost one billion (945 million) from 2019 to 2022, with the World Cup alone accounting for 2.359 billion. FIFA President Gianni Infantino called the numbers “extremely good” and pointed out that despite the corona pandemic, revenue was over a billion above expectations. “It shows how strong FIFA is today.”
The reserves of the world association are also at a record level and, at 3.971 billion, are 45 percent higher than after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. For the coming World Cup cycle from 2023 to 2026, FIFA expects a total of eleven billion US dollars.
More games, more money
From 2019 to 2022, FIFA distributed a good one billion US dollars to its member associations. During this period, 5.15 out of a possible six million went to the German Football Association. From 2023 to 2026, the sum for each association should increase to eight million. The financial report also provides information on the remuneration of top personnel: FIFA President Infantino will receive 3.6 million Swiss francs (3.65 million euros) in the coming year.
And the money-making will continue. This was made clear by the news that was also announced regarding the upcoming Club World Cup. The 2023 tournament will take place in Saudi Arabia. One year after the World Cup in Qatar, the next country on the Persian Gulf will be able to hold a major football event from December 12th to 22nd. The decision was unanimous. The tournament will then take place in the current format with seven clubs including the European Champions League winners.
Saudi Arabia has been positioning itself as an organizer of major sporting events for years. Five-time world footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing in the Saudi league since this year, and the country is also positioning itself to host the 2030 World Cup. Like its neighbor Qatar, Saudi Arabia has also been criticized for human rights violations. The relationship between the two countries has been complicated and marked by rivalry for years.
New World Cup mode not yet known
From 2025, the already decided and much criticized increase in the Club World Cup to 32 teams will apply. The field of participants should be made up as follows: Europe will receive twelve starting places, South America six, Asia, Africa and the combination of North and Central America and the Caribbean four each, Oceania one. The host country is also firmly involved. It is not yet clear who will host the premiere. However, the tournament is scheduled to take place in June/July 2025.
A year later the next World Cup will be held. And there were also first decisions. The hosts USA, Canada and Mexico are automatically qualified. The three starting places will be deducted from the contingent for starters from North and Central America and the Caribbean, as announced by FIFA. This means that three of the six fixed starting places of the continental confederation Concacaf have already been taken. The remaining three tickets for the 2026 tournament will be played in the qualification, and two Concacaf teams still have chances through the playoffs.
The world association wants to announce details about the qualification for the tournament in a good three years. The tournament will be held for the first time with 48 teams, which will also increase the number of participants from the various continental associations. 16 teams from Europe are taking part, Asia has at least eight teams and Africa has nine. At least six teams come from South America, Oceania has a starting place guaranteed. A total of two tickets will be awarded in intercontinental playoffs, in which all confederations except Europe take part. The mode of the tournament is also not yet known. While 16 groups of three nations were initially planned, FIFA is now toying with 12 groups of four teams each. In addition to a fairer mode, this also means more games.