World Cup's $7.6bn bonanza: Who's cashing in and who's left out in the cold

The 2026 World Cup is a money machine, but the wealth is flowing in wildly unequal directions. FIFA is cashing in at historic levels. The organization pulled in $7.6 billion from Qatar in 2022 and expects to surpass that figure this year, with revenues over the four-year cycle approaching $13 billion. The expansion to 48 teams—more countries, more matches, more global eyeballs—has turbocharged the financial engine. Broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, hospitality packages, ticket sales: these are the traditional revenue streams. But FIFA has also found a new one. The organization now operates an official resale marketplace for tickets, taking a 15 percent cut from both buyer and seller. It's a small innovation with big implications for how the tournament will be monetized in the future.

For fans, the financial reality has been brutal. The final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was officially priced at $32,970 per ticket. Some resale listings have climbed above $2 million. Even the US President, when asked about a potential $1,000 ticket for his country's opening match against Paraguay, said he wouldn't pay it. The criticism of FIFA's dynamic pricing strategy—raising costs when demand spikes—has been relentless and public. Beyond tickets, fans have been squeezed at every turn. Flights, food, accommodation: all inflated. One particularly vivid example was the New Jersey Transit train service to MetLife Stadium. A 30-minute journey that normally costs $12.90 for a return trip jumped to $150 during the tournament. Public backlash forced a reduction, but prices remained well above normal.

Broadcasters and sponsors have emerged as clear winners. Fox Sports paid $485 million for US broadcast rights, and the investment is paying dividends. A 30-second advertising slot on Fox during World Cup matches costs between $200,000 and $300,000 on average, spiking to $750,000 during US matches in the later stages. FIFA introduced hydration breaks during this tournament—officially described as a purely sporting measure, though the timing and structure suggest otherwise. These 90-second intervals give players a chance to drink water and give broadcasters a new commercial opportunity. In the US, where sports fans are accustomed to games built around advertising breaks, hydration break ads could generate as much as $250 million in revenue alone. The breaks are, in essence, pure advertising inventory. Experts expect them to become a permanent fixture. UK viewers watching on the BBC or ITV have been spared this commercial intrusion; the BBC carries no ads, and ITV is restricted by regulators on commercial time.

David Beckham has become perhaps the most visible winner off the pitch. The former England captain, now a billionaire and co-owner of Inter Miami, appears everywhere—in Adidas campaigns, Home Depot commercials, Bank of America ads. Adidas spent roughly £50 million on a single campaign featuring an AI version of Beckham alongside Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, and Lionel Messi. More than a decade after retiring, Beckham remains the face of American soccer. Inter Miami, the club he co-owns, is valued at $1.45 billion, making it the most valuable franchise in Major League Soccer. He may not have won the World Cup as a player, but he has dominated the commercial landscape as a businessman.

Host cities and hotels, by contrast, have been disappointed. Sixteen cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico welcomed fans and tourists, and there was initial optimism about economic spillover. FIFA estimated $41 billion would be added to the global economy, with $17 billion boosting the US alone and 185,000 jobs created, mostly in hospitality and accommodation. The reality has been far more modest. Hotel bookings in host cities fell short of expectations. The British Columbia Hotel Association reported that June and July bookings in Vancouver—which hosted seven matches—paced well behind previous years. In the US, the American Hotel and Lodging Association accused FIFA of block-booking too many rooms for its own use, artificially inflating demand and then leaving hotels with empty beds. By April, 80 percent of US hotel operators said bookings were tracking below forecasts. Two-thirds of New York hoteliers reported softer-than-expected demand. In Seattle, nearly 80 percent did. Many called the tournament a non-event.

According to Alexander Budzier, a fellow in management practice at Oxford University, the long-term economic benefits of hosting such events simply do not materialize. Host cities typically see a sharp drop in visitors after the tournament ends, as people avoid the chaos. While hiring does spike in hospitality and accommodation, these are predominantly lower-wage jobs. "It creates jobs, but it does not create wealth," Budzier says. The only meaningful economic benefit comes from regeneration projects—new housing, infrastructure upgrades—but the 2026 World Cup relied heavily on existing stadiums, hotels, and training facilities. There will be no major development windfall.

Betting companies are the other clear winner. The 2026 World Cup is on track to be the biggest gambling event in history, with an estimated $50 billion wagered—roughly $500 million per match. This is nearly double the amount bet on the 2022 tournament, driven by the expansion to more than 100 matches and explosive growth in US and Brazilian markets. In-play betting, where bettors adjust their wagers based on what unfolds on the field, has overtaken traditional pre-match betting. Sports betting in the US is still relatively new; until 2018, it was legal only in Nevada. A Supreme Court ruling changed that, opening the door for states to legalize it. But some major states—California and Texas—still prohibit it. In those areas, prediction markets have exploded. These are not classified as gambling, so they operate in a legal gray zone, allowing young men in particular to place bets on sports regardless of state restrictions. The 2026 World Cup will be the proving ground for this emerging, billion-dollar industry.