FIFA is expecting ticketing and hospitality revenue to treble to more than $3bn over the course of the next FIFA World Cup cycle.
Football’s global governing body has issued an upbeat projection for the four-year period from 2023-26 that will include the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA said the state-of-the-art stadiums in 16 North American cities will provide significant opportunities for hospitality and ticketing revenue, while the expansion from 32 to 48 teams means even more games and sales. The body also said the shift to an in-house hospitality sales model will help it hugely increase the $949.1m that was generated by ticket sales during the 2019-22 period that included the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 2026 World Cup is expected to benefit from the interest generated by three home nations, while Mexican and US fans were among the top five purchasers of hospitality packages during Qatar 2022. It has been suggested the significant rise in revenue will be driven by a huge hike in ticket prices for the 2026 event.
FIFA said: “Hospitality sales are largely driven by the strategic model in operation, which has moved away from the rights fee model, under which FIFA’s hospitality services were outsourced. With the attractive hospitality features already imbedded in the modern stadiums, fans from all around the world will be able to experience the various packages available.”
In total, FIFA has projected revenue of $11bn during the period, which would be a 45% increase on the $7.6m actually generated during the 2019-22 cycle. Broadcasting is expected to make the largest contribution of $4.26bn, which would be up 24%.
Last week, FIFA launched a Request for Information from interested companies that can deliver a ticketing solution for the 2026 World Cup 2026. FIFA is calling for interested parties to outline their ability to deliver a ticketing solution for the 2026 event at the highest possible industry service levels, while demonstrating a financially viable and sustainable business solution for the event taking place across three different countries.