FIFA emerges as the winner as biggest World Cup ever draws to a close

The biggest and fiercest World Cup on record came to an end on Sunday as Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time to claim international football’s biggest prize.

Barcelona striker Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the disappointing final, securing Spain’s second World Cup title as Argentina were reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card for a foul on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsi.

Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS and Shakira were among those who performed at the World Cup halftime show; this stunt extended the intermission by more than 27 minutes and sparked criticism from commentators and fans.

But behind the scenes, it was always clear that FIFA would be the financial winner of the tournament. World football’s governing body has presided over the most profitable sporting event in history and is set to generate over $9 billion in revenue for 2026, according to its own forecasts.

Four years ago, 32 teams competed on the world stage for the first time, with 48 teams competing. This means 104 matches instead of 64, scheduled over a six-week period instead of four. Additional games allow for more content to be sold to broadcasters, more tickets to fans, more commercial opportunities for advertisers, and a larger global audience.

President Gianni Infantino has been the driving force behind FIFA’s ruthless commercialization drive. CNBC investigates how FIFA is making more money from the World Cup than ever before.

North America seemed like the perfect sandbox to experiment with the 48-team format, but its management has also sparked controversy. The organization has faced criticism as the cost of tickets ranges from $60 to $10,000, with the average admission price exceeding $900, according to TicketData.

Before the tournament, there were question marks about affordability and whether fan demand would be met. Despite these concerns, demand has been quite resilient, according to analysis provider Football Benchmark.

“The stadiums are almost 99% sold out in the group stage,” Football Benchmark consulting director Antonio Di Cianni told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday. he said. “It showed that people were willing to pay those prices.”

Encouraged by strong ticket sales, Infantino has already begun to float the idea of ​​expanding further to 64 teams in 2030.

“These are all issues we will look at after the World Cup,” he told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport on July 10.

According to Kieran Maguire, associate professor of football finance at the University of Liverpool, if a 64-team World Cup were implemented, almost a third of all eligible countries would take part in the tournament, increasing the inclusivity of the sport.

“This is the opportunity for the World Cup to become the Olympics of football in the sense that it becomes open to far more nations,” he told CNBC over the phone.

“Although the medals are concentrated in the hands of a small number of people, there are now other people who can say they participated.”

had fun There is a close relationship with Infantino’s FIFA, which awarded Trump his first peace prize last year after the president vigorously pursued the Nobel Peace Prize but failed to win it.