Global soccer governing body FIFA has projected revenues of over $14 billion for the 2027-2030 financial cycle, after publishing strong results for the 2025 calendar year.
The second year of the current 2023-26 cycle saw FIFA generate $2.66 billion in revenue, exceeding targets by $225 million (9%), a figure FIFA claims is owed to the first edition of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, now a 32-team knockout tournament, which took place in the US last June and July.
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Revenue attributed to the 2025 Club World Cup sat at $2.13 billion, 6% above projections, primarily due to the $1 billion global broadcast rights sale to international streaming service DAZN.
Sponsorships ($669 million), hospitality and ticketing ($411 million), and licensing ($5 million) all also contributed to the financial success of the tournament, which came in spite of its many controversies.
With the men’s FIFA World Cup to be staged across mid-2026 (in the US, Canada, and Mexico), FIFA is projecting that event to be a major revenue driver.
FIFA’s initial projections of $13 billion for the entire 2023-2026 cycle look set to be exceeded, as 93% of that figure has already been delivered, hence why the body has predicted a record $14 billion figure for the 2027-2030 period.
Looking forward, FIFA president Gianni Infantino commented: “FIFA has taken massive strides in terms of football investment in the past ten years. This wouldn’t have been possible without the FIFA World Cup, which remains our main source of income. A successful FIFA World Cup means more children playing football and benefiting from its educational power, more pitches and more capacity-building across the world.”
Much like the Club World Cup, FIFA’s strengthening ties with the current US government mean that preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup have not been without incident.
Most important, perhaps, has been the possible departure of Iran from the tournament, despite having qualified, as after the US and Israel launched military strikes on the country earlier this month that led to the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s sports minister has said the country will not participate in this year's major men’s FIFA World Cup soccer, although now the country’s FA is reportedly in talks to stage games in Mexico, a co-host of the tournament, instead.
Fans from Iran were already banned from entering the US in the first iteration of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.
Iran has been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and are scheduled to play all three group games in the US – in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing the first round against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
