The International Football Federation (FIFA) achieved unprecedented financial revenues from the 2026 World Cup, as revenues exceeded all expectations, making it the most profitable edition in the tournament's history, far surpassing the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that FIFA will announce record revenues of $15 billion (about £11.2 billion), a figure far exceeding the $11 billion target set by the federation before the tournament, and nearly double the $7.6 billion revenues of the 2022 World Cup.

The newspaper added that this financial leap came thanks to several factors, most notably the increase in the value of television broadcasting rights, increased sponsorship contracts, along with massive sales of tickets and hospitality packages, benefiting from the participation of 48 teams for the first time in the tournament's history.

The Guardian pointed out that FIFA President Gianni Infantino informed national associations of these figures during an official meeting, explaining that the hospitality and ticket sales sectors, especially through the secondary market, were among the largest sources of income, with FIFA receiving 15% of the sale value and 15% of the purchase value in the ticket resale market.

The newspaper confirmed that these huge revenues will give FIFA an opportunity to increase financial support to national associations, which strengthens Infantino's position ahead of the next federation presidential elections, especially after the controversy surrounding some tournament decisions, foremost among them the cancellation of the red card shown to American Folarin Balogun, an incident that sparked widespread criticism in Europe.

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The Guardian also indicated that the tournament's economic success could boost the chances of the United States hosting a new edition of the World Cup in the future, especially the 2038 edition, with US President Donald Trump eager to repeat the experience.

The newspaper revealed that hospitality prices for the final between Spain and Argentina reached record levels, with the price of a 'Cup Lounge' ticket at about $34,500 per person, new evidence of the immense commercial power the tournament has achieved.

It is noteworthy that the Spanish team clinched the title yesterday, Sunday, by defeating Argentina 1-0 with a goal scored by Ferran Torres.