FIFA are squeezing as much revenue as humanly possible from the 2026 World Cup.
World football’s governing body is projecting that the hemisphere-spanning tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico will help them break the $13b barrier in their current financial cycle.
Exorbitant ticket prices and, some say, nefarious tactics when it comes to selling out stadiums have been one of the main drivers of turnover. But the 2026 World Cup is, for better or for worse, a patchwork of commercial innovation.
The most visible example of FIFA pushing the envelope are the controversial hydration breaks which punctuate every match at the tournament, regardless of weather or any other conditions.
The breaks, which effectively split the game into four quarters, are almost universally seen as a means of smuggling in more adverts for broadcasters, leading to inflated TV deals for FIFA.
Across all of its markets, FIFA expects that it will earn $4.3bn in media income. That is over $1bn higher than the previous tournament in Qatar.
As far as players and managers are concerned, opinions are split.
The likes of England’s Thomas Tuchel have said they appreciate having time to brief players mid-game. On the flip side, the likes of Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa are staunchly opposed to what they see as a nakedly commercial move by FIFA.
To that latter camp, you can add Paraguay boss Gustavo Alfaro.
Speaking after his side’s 1-0 victory over Turkey, Alfaro lashed out at hydration breaks and what he sees as the lost spirit of the World Cup.
“People I know are having a very hard time, because travelling these days is very difficult, very expensive, the World Cups are blown out of proportion, the costs, everything else, and that’s why sometimes you understand the sacrifice people make to pay for a ticket,” he is quoted by Reuters as saying.
“The essence of football is lost. And football can’t be a business, it has to be football… a very select group get to enjoy it. Football, we all own it, primarily the poorest, because the cheapest toy to play with was a ball, which was sometimes hard to afford, but 22 people could play with just one toy.
“So the power of football is immense. And that’s what we must defend. It’s a commercial break, not a hydration break. The game is getting out of hand.”
Having lost to hosts the United States on opening night, Paraguay conclude their group stage campaign against Australia on Friday, knowing they must win to secure one of the automatic qualification spots for the round of 32 in Group D.
