FIFA Is Making More Money Than Ever — Here's Where It All Goes

FIFA, the group that runs world soccer, is having its richest year ever. The 2026 Men's World Cup is being played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA president Gianni Infantino says all of the money FIFA earns goes back into the sport, but the full story is more complicated.

FIFA's finances run on four-year cycles tied to the Men's World Cup. In three out of every four years, FIFA loses money. But in World Cup years, it earns everything back — and much more on top. The current four-year budget is set at $13 billion, which is 70 percent higher than the previous cycle.

The biggest source of FIFA's income is simple: people love watching soccer. About $8.9 billion, or 68 percent of its total income, comes from TV rights, tickets, and hospitality packages. In the past, European TV companies paid the most. Today, broadcasters in the Middle East and Asia have become very important.

Ticket sales have broken records — and caused serious trouble. FIFA used 'dynamic pricing,' meaning prices rise when lots of people want to buy. Prices soared, and many fans were angry. Three U.S. state attorneys general launched investigations, saying FIFA may have misled buyers about seating arrangements.

Sponsorship deals have soared as well. One of the biggest new partnerships is with Aramco, the Saudi Arabian government's oil company. The deal's exact value was not made public, but Aramco's name appeared on boards at every game. FIFA's own annual report even gave Aramco its own special page.

Saudi Arabia's influence on FIFA does not stop there. A Saudi government fund invested $1 billion in DAZN, the same company that paid $1 billion to broadcast FIFA's new Club World Cup. Saudi Arabia was also named the only host of the 2034 Men's World Cup. Critics say FIFA made it nearly impossible for any other country to compete for that bid.

FIFA says it gives most of its money back to soccer development. Through a program called FIFA Forward, the group has handed out more than $5 billion to national soccer associations since 2016. The poorest nations depend heavily on these payments, which helps explain why so many countries support Infantino. However, a $660 million Football Development Fund had not paid out any money by the end of 2025.

FIFA also earns money by investing the cash it holds. At the end of 2025, it had $5.68 billion in bonds and other investments. In 2025 alone, those investments earned $93.7 million in interest. Over three years, total finance income topped $672 million.

All of this growth has made FIFA's reserve fund — its emergency savings — very large. Before this World Cup even started, FIFA held $2.7 billion in reserves. If it only meets its 2026 budget without exceeding it, reserves would reach $5.77 billion. That would make FIFA's savings larger than those of the International Olympic Committee.

Running FIFA itself costs a lot of money too. Staff costs for the current cycle are expected to reach nearly $1 billion. Infantino was paid $6 million in 2025, a 29 percent raise in just one year. FIFA's own annual Congress costs $30 million to host.

FIFA faces real challenges ahead. TV deals in China and India came in much lower than hoped. The 2029 Club World Cup is budgeted to cost $2.23 billion, but no major TV deal is yet in place for it. Saudi Arabia's investment in FIFA looks strong until the 2034 World Cup, but questions remain about what happens after that.

FIFA is clearly one of the richest sports organizations on Earth. But many people are asking whether all that money truly reaches fans and players — or whether too much stays inside the organization. As the 2026 World Cup continues, those questions keep getting louder.