Despite the off-field controversies, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has proved extremely lucrative with FIFA earning record revenues of $7.5 billion in commercial deals tied to football’s premier event.
The governing body unveiled the last three sponsors hours before the opening game: YouTube, Visit Las Vegas and Fine Hygienic Holding, all in the third-tier category of regional sponsors.
The late arrivals completed the slate of World Cup sponsors and helped lift FIFA’s four-year income to more than $1 billion higher than its figure ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, according to reports.
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The numbers were revealed Sunday at a closed-door meeting of more than 200 FIFA member federations, whose cash grants from the Switzerland-based soccer body have risen sharply since Gianni Infantino was elected President in 2016.
The extra income was buoyed by commercial deals with state-backed companies in the gas-rich World Cup host country.
Qatar Energy joined as a top-tier sponsor, and new third-tier sponsors include Qatari bank QNB and telecoms firm Ooredoo.
Revenues are likely to approach $10 billion for the next four years thanks to a new financial strategy for women’s soccer and the expanded 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico when the tournament will have 48 teams instead of 32.
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