FIFA Increases 2023-26 Budget By $2bn To $11bn

Football Unites the World is FIFA’s slogan, but it is money that truly unites FIFA, and FIFA is about to have a whole lot more, announcing at its 75th Annual Congress in Asuncion Paraguay that its new budget for the 2023 to 2026 is $13 billion, exactly double the $6.5 billion of its previous 2019 to 2022 cycle.

The new £13 billion budget is an upward revision from the previous $11 billion with FIFA saying that 60% of those increased revenues are already contracted.

The 2024 financial year showed FIFA operating at a negative $612 million, but that is $400 million better than was originally budgeted.

Revenue for 2025 was $483 million, 39% or $190 million above budget. Spend was $1.298 billion, of which $261 million was described by FIFA as commercial expenses.

At the end of 2024 FIFA had reserves and cash of $4.76 billion.

For 2025 all eyes have been on the financial numbers for the expanded Club World Cup which FIFA is now saying will have no impact on its reserves. This is in large part due to the $1 billion DAZN TV rights buy, backed by Saudi Arabian money.

The Club World Cup is budgeted to generate $2 billion in revenue of which TV and marketing will contribute 75% and the remaining 25% coming from hospitality and ticket sales.

Expenses for the Club World Cup, that starts June 14, are budgeted at $900 million with prize money at an eye watering $1 billion. FIFA said it will not retain any revenue from the tournament but that it will be fed directly back into the club game worldwide.

FIFA is budgeting for revenues of $8.911 billion for 2026, the year of its expanded 48-team World Cup bonanza in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Over the cycle $2.25 billion will have been invested in the third phase of the FIFA Forward programme with each national federation able to apply for grants of up to $8 million. $60 million is available to confederations.

Insideworldfootball.com