DOHA, QATAR – DECEMBER 16: FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a press conference … [+]
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In the ’70s, Clive Toye embarked on a unique mission to popularize football in the United States and his ultimate selling point was the arrival of Pele at New York’s CosmosATOM. It never quite worked out, and half a century later, soccer remains a fringe sport, but FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino believes the 2026 World Cup will forever change the American sporting landscape.
At a press conference on the eve of the World Cup final in Doha, he said: “We are optimistic about the power of football. We’re more than optimistic. We are convinced that the impact of the game will be enormous. Revenue will increase in terms of broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and hospitality.’
FIFA will complete the current cycle with $7.5 billion in revenue, a billion more than originally forecast, but an expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada will be the ultimate race for Zurich. The FIFA Council approved the 2023-2026 budget with revenue of $11 billion – allowing for a disbursement of $9.7 billion, which FIFA says is an investment in global football.
“We’re expecting 5 million, 5.5 million traveling fans,” Infantino continued. “We are convinced that football will boom in North America.”
It is the second time that the United States has hosted the world’s premier sporting event. In 1994, the World Cup was held for the first time in New York and other American cities. Although the football was often of low quality, like the goalless final between Italy and Brazil that provided the perfect illustration, the tournament saw huge attendances and new commercial opportunities for FIFA. It was also a starting point for Major League Soccer and sports in general in the United States, but progress has been limited since then.
However, according to Infantino, the 23rd World Cup will be a game changer – not even North America will be able to resist the drama and emotion of the World Cup. There is already a firm desire in football circles to move beyond the World Cup in Qatar, a tournament that has drawn much criticism from both the world governing body and the host country. The United States, along with Mexico and Canada, should provide a more stable environment, and most importantly, the gargantuan projected revenues, music to the ears of the vast majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations, will surpass anything FIFA has ever earned from its premier competition.
However, the current iteration, with all its drama spanning the group stage and knockout stages, has forced FIFA to reconsider the structure of a 48-team format.
“I have to say that after this World Cup and the success of the groups of four and also looking at some other competitions such as the Euros for example, where there are 24 teams and the top two plus the best thirds go to the next stage,” Infantino said.
“Here the groups of four were absolutely incredible in that you didn’t know who would go through until the last minute of the last game. We need to reconsider the format, or at least re-discuss it – whether we go for 16 groups of three or 12 groups of four. That will certainly be at be on the agenda for the next meetings.”
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