Faisal Islam: Four reasons why Fifa's World Cup plan never stacked up

Faisal Islam reported that documents outlining Fifa's plan to part-privatise the World Cup, seen by the BBC, show why the deal may have fallen apart. The sales pitch, circulated to Fifa members this week, presented Gianni Infantino's plan, which included pictures of the Spain team lifting the trophy and Argentina's fans. The 25-page deck of slides suggested American football-level revenue expectations, pointing to a potential continuation and extension of the controversial 2026 US-influenced World Cup model, with potential for $1,000+ tickets, dynamic pricing, and pressure to put broadcasting behind a paywall.

The documents indicate the plan and Fifa's arguments "never really stacked up." One reason cited is the claim that football is "under-monetised," with Fifa's central argument being that "Fifa has been under-monetised versus other leagues" and "global football development gets squeezed." A comparative chart showed annual revenue and revenue per fan for Fifa, the Uefa Champions League, Premier League, US baseball, and NFL American football. Fifa was shown at $1 per global fan, compared to NFL's $52.8. However, the World Cup is not an annual competition, occurring once every four years. On a revenue per World Cup 2026 match basis, Fifa makes multiples of the Premier League, perhaps more than three times as much. Football is also decentralised globally, with more revenues going to individual leagues.