$9 billion bonanza: Spain win on pitch, FIFA bags billions off it — inside the soccer body's commercial strategy

The curtain came down on the biggest and most commercially ambitious FIFA World Cup in history on Sunday, with Spain edging Argentina 1-0 after extra time to lift football’s most coveted trophy.

Barcelona forward Ferran Torres emerged as the match-winner, scoring the decisive goal in a tense final that failed to live up to pre-match expectations. Argentina’s hopes suffered a major setback when midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi, forcing the South American side to finish the match with 10 players. The victory secured Spain’s second FIFA World Cup title.

The tournament also featured the first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show, headlined by global music stars including Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, and Shakira. The entertainment spectacle extended the interval to more than 27 minutes, prompting criticism from football fans and commentators who argued that it disrupted the rhythm of the game.

While Spain celebrated on the pitch, FIFA emerged as the biggest financial winner off it.

FIFA is expected to generate more than $9 billion in revenue from the 2026 World Cup, making it the most lucrative sporting event ever staged, according to CNBC citing FIFA’s projections.

Expanded format boosts revenue

A major contributor to the revenue boom was the tournament’s expanded format. For the first time, 48 national teams competed instead of the traditional 32, increasing the number of matches from 64 to 104. The competition also stretched across six weeks rather than four, creating significantly more opportunities for broadcasting rights, ticket sales, sponsorships, advertising partnerships, and fan engagement worldwide.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has spearheaded the governing body's aggressive commercial strategy, transforming the World Cup into an even larger global entertainment and business enterprise.

North America served as the testing ground for the expanded competition, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico jointly hosting the event. Although organizers faced criticism over ticket prices—which ranged from $60 to more than $10,000, with a median price exceeding $900, according to TicketData—fan demand remained robust throughout the tournament.

Ahead of kickoff, analysts questioned whether supporters would embrace the higher prices and expanded schedule. However, data from sports analytics firm Football Benchmark indicated that ticket demand stayed remarkably strong despite affordability concerns.

“In the group stage, the utilisation rate of stadiums was basically sold out, at 99%,” Antonio Di Cianni, director of advisory at Football Benchmark, told CNBC on Friday. “It showed people are willing to pay those prices.”

Buoyed by the tournament's commercial success, Infantino has already suggested expanding the World Cup further to 64 teams beginning with the 2030 edition.

“These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup,” Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport on 10 July.

Trump's close ties with FIFA

The tournament also drew political attention, with US President Donald Trump playing a visible role during the competition. Trump has maintained close ties with FIFA and Infantino, whose organisation awarded him its inaugural peace prize last year after his unsuccessful pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump's 2025 financial disclosure, released last week, showed that Infantino gifted him 10 tickets, valued at $15,000, for the FIFA Club World Cup final held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in July last year.

Their relationship attracted additional scrutiny following reports that Trump personally contacted Infantino to review the one-match suspension imposed on US men's national team forward Folarin Balogun after his red card against Belgium. The suspension was later overturned, adding to the debate over FIFA's governance and its relationship with political leaders.

“I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said. “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was.”