FIFA raises 2026 World Cup revenue outlook to more than $15 billion

FIFA says the 2026 World Cup concluded as its most financially successful tournament ever, with revenue for the full 2023-2026 commercial cycle set to surpass $15 billion after earlier projections of about $8.9 billion and then roughly $11 billion for the tournament itself. The expanded 48-team format increased matches from 64 to 104 and helped drive broad demand, with FIFA reporting more than 500 million ticket requests from all 211 member countries and territories and stadium utilization in the group stage at about 99%, according to Football Benchmark. Demand held up despite record-high prices, including group-stage tickets listed by FIFA at as much as $575 and dynamic pricing that at times pushed them above $1,000, while SeatGeek said the average resale price for the final was $12,751 and one ticket on FIFA’s resale platform was listed at $2.3 million. The tournament also delivered record U.S. viewership, with the United States’ round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina drawing more than 24 million viewers across Fox and Telemundo, and Mexico’s round-of-16 loss to England reaching 23.2 million across Telemundo and Peacock. Gianni Infantino said FIFA members are discussing a possible expansion to 64 teams for 2030, a move analysts say could further increase advertising and television revenue, though high ticket prices are likely to persist.