The 2026 FIFA World Cup, wrapping up its month-long run across the United States, Mexico and Canada, is on pace to become the most financially successful tournament in the sport's history, with soccer's governing body projecting total revenue of roughly $13 billion across its four-year commercial cycle, the majority of it generated directly by this summer's expanded 48-team tournament.

According to data compiled by Sports Value based on FIFA's own annual reports, total revenue for the 2026 tournament is projected to reach approximately $10.9 billion, a 56% increase over the $7 billion generated by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That prior tournament had itself marked a 32% jump over the cycle before it, underscoring the pace at which FIFA's revenue has continued climbing with each successive edition. Business Standard reported that FIFA's broader four-year commercial cycle, which culminates in this year's tournament, is expected to bring in close to $13 billion in total income, with roughly $8.9 billion of that figure generated by the World Cup itself. That total represents a 72% increase over the cycle that ended with the Qatar tournament and more than double the revenue generated during the 2015-2018 cycle.

FIFA's original budget for the current 2023-2026 commercial cycle had projected revenue of $11 billion, a figure that was already a substantial increase over prior cycles before being revised upward as the tournament approached. Given that FIFA exceeded its own revenue forecasts for the 2022 Qatar World Cup by more than $1 billion, some analysts have suggested the final tally for 2026 could climb even higher once all figures are finalized after the tournament's conclusion.

Broadcasting rights remain........

© International Business Times