For FIFA, bigger is better.
As the 2026 World Cup drew to a close on Sunday with Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina, FIFA emerged just as victorious as the Spaniards. The global soccer governing body came away with over $9 billion in revenue from the tournament, by far the most lucrative tournament in World Cup history.
Much of the increased revenue comes from the 2026 tournament’s expanded field of 48 teams, up from 32 four years ago. The 14 additional teams meant extra games, content, tickets, and commercials.
But FIFA isn’t stopping here. Gianni Infantino, the organization’s president, has already hinted that the 2030 tournament may again increase the field, this time to 64 teams.
This would enable nearly a third of all eligible countries to secure a spot in the World Cup. If all goes as planned, the $9 billion in revenue FIFA brought in this time around could end up looking like pocket change.
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