FIFA posts record revenue of $7.6 billion in four years

The Council of the FIFA approved the 2022 Annual Report, which highlights a record income for the agency of US$7.6 billion during the 2019-2022 cycle and the forecast of obtaining US$11 billion during the 2023-2026 period.

In addition to the document with the economic data, the Council adopted decisions on future competitions on Tuesday, such as the quotas that each confederation will have in the first edition of the Club World Cup with 32 teams in 2025, in which UEFA will have 12 representatives, CONMEBOL 6, CONCACAF, CAF and AFC 4 and OFC and host 1.

He also confirmed that the hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico, the United States and Canada, will qualify directly for the final phase and their places will be deducted from the six assigned to CONCACAF, as well as the dates chosen by the organizers of the next World Cups such as that of 2030, to which Spain opts together with Portugal and Ukraine, which will be in the third quarter of 2024.

Record revenue: US$7.6 billion in 2019-2022 and 11,000 expected in 2023-2026

“FIFA’s unprecedented investment in football is the result of its strong financial transparency and stands as a concrete example of how we aspire to make football truly global”declared the president of the organization, Gianni Infantino.

For the Italian-Swiss leader, “The resounding success of the World Cup in Qatar 2022 has been key for the organization to fulfill its mission in relation to its member associations and the world of football, despite the many challenges we have faced during the past cycle, without forgetting the pandemic of COVID-19″.

Total revenues of US$7,568 million for the 2019-2022 period represent an increase of 18% (US$1,147 million) compared to US$6,421 million for the 2015-2018 cycle and 18% more (US$1,128 million) than the revenue budget for the entire cycle.

The largest part corresponds to the sale of television rights, which amounted to US$ 3,426 million (45% of the income of the entire cycle and increased by 10% in 2019-2022 in relation to the previous cycle).

The second largest source of revenue was the sale of marketing rights, which generated US$1.795 million.

12 places for UEFA and 6 for Conmebol in the first World Cup with 32 clubs in 2025

Following the decision adopted by the FIFA Council last December to increase the number of participants in the Club World Cup to 32, this body unanimously approved the allocation of places by confederation in the first edition, to be held in June-July of 2025.

The decision, which was adopted according to a set of metrics and objective criteria, provides for 12 places for UEFA, 6 for CONMEBOL, 4 for AFC (Asia), 4 for CAF (Africa), 4 for Concacaf ( Central and North America), 1 for the OFC (Oceania) and one for the host of the tournament.

The 2023 Club World Cup, which will be played with the current format of seven clubs, will be held in Saudi Arabia, from December 12 to 22, according to a unanimous decision by the Council.

The organizer of the 2030 World Cup will be chosen in the third quarter of 2024

In accordance with the tradition that all hosts compete in the World Cup, as well as with sporting and operational considerations, the hosts of the 2026 event, Canada, Mexico and the United States, will automatically qualify for the final phase of the competition, by what their places will be deducted from the global allocation of six assigned to Concacaf.

The Council also received updated information on the designation by the Congress of the organizers of the next World Cups and confirmed that the 2030 host will be chosen in the third quarter of 2024. The candidacy regulations will be approved in June 2023.

The organizer of the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be chosen in the second quarter of 2024 (the candidacy regulations in March 2023) and the organizer of the 2031 Women’s World Cup in the second four-month period of 2025 (the candidacy regulations in the second four-month period of 2024 ).

(With information from EFE)