Expanded World Cup puts FIFA’s money and Infantino’s power in focus

The 2026 men’s World Cup is set to be the largest and richest edition of soccer’s top tournament, with Fortune reporting projected revenue of about $8.9 billion. The expanded event also puts renewed attention on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, whose decade in charge has brought major commercial growth and fresh criticism over FIFA’s concentration of power.

The tournament is scheduled to run from June 11 in Mexico City to July 19 in New Jersey, with matches across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, according to Fortune. FIFA expanded the field to 48 national teams from 32 and increased the schedule to 104 matches from 64, spread across 16 cities.

Fortune reported that FIFA expects $3.9 billion from broadcast rights, $3 billion from ticketing and hospitality, and $1.8 billion from sponsorships. Ricardo Fort, head of sponsorship consultancy Sport by Fort, told Fortune that the World Cup offers brands rare global reach because of the size and distribution of its fan base.

Infantino took over FIFA in 2016 after a corruption crisis that began with Swiss police arrests of senior soccer officials in Zurich in 2015. The U.S. Department of Justice had alleged more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks tied to World Cup business, Fortune reported. Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter resigned, though he was not indicted, and Fortune said 31 people ultimately pleaded guilty while later trials produced convictions on charges including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering, with some verdicts later overturned.

Infantino, a Swiss-Italian lawyer who had worked for European soccer’s confederation, promised after his election to restore FIFA’s image, according to Fortune. FIFA told Fortune it has carried out extensive reforms and taken steps since 2016 to regain credibility.

FIFA’s finances have expanded sharply under Infantino, Fortune reported. The organization’s revenue could rise 73% from its prior four-year budget cycle, and FIFA says the amount reinvested into soccer has increased sevenfold to about $5 billion since 2016.

Fortune reported that FIFA operates as a nonprofit but earns most of its money from the men’s World Cup. Under the FIFA Forward program introduced by Infantino, national associations can receive as much as $8 million during the four-year cycle that began in 2023, while each of the 48 World Cup teams is expected to receive at least $12.5 million.

Critics cited by Fortune say that funding model strengthens loyalty to FIFA’s leadership. Bonita Mersiades, a former Australian soccer executive who helped expose FIFA corruption, told Fortune that FIFA has become extremely difficult to overhaul because every country wants its team to win the World Cup.

Miguel Poiares Maduro, a Portuguese jurist who led FIFA’s governance committee after the scandal before being removed in 2017, told Fortune that FIFA operates like a political cartel with heavy power concentrated in the president. French soccer journalist Simon Bolle argues in his book, “FIFA Connection,” that FIFA’s system relies on money and national-association votes to sustain the president’s authority, Fortune reported.

Fortune also reported criticism of Infantino’s ties to political leaders, including Qatar’s rulers, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trump. Infantino attended Trump’s second inauguration and later gave him a new FIFA Peace Prize at the Kennedy Center, according to Fortune.

Host cities face their own strain. Fortune reported that contracts signed in 2018 require hosts to cover costs that can reach tens of millions of dollars, including FIFA-mandated security, while dynamic pricing has lifted some ticket prices. Fortune also reported that about 80% of surveyed American hotels said in May that World Cup bookings were below expectations.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.