Fifa to report record $15bn World Cup revenue, beating forecasts

Fifa is set to announce record revenues of $15bn (£11.2bn) from this summer's World Cup, comfortably exceeding the $11bn target the governing body set before the tournament began.

Member associations were informed of the higher-than-expected figure by Fifa president Gianni Infantino on Saturday. The uplift of roughly $4bn on the original projection is expected to be presented as a financial success for the organisation and, by extension, for Infantino's leadership.

According to sources, hospitality and ticketing account for a significant portion of the additional income, with the steeply priced secondary resale market playing a notable role in pushing the total upwards.

Where the extra money comes from

Fifa operates a cut of both sides of secondary-market transactions, taking 15% from the buyer and a further 15% from the seller when tickets are resold. With demand high and resale prices rising well above face value, those commissions add up quickly across a tournament of this scale.

• Total revenue of $15bn, against a pre-tournament projection of $11bn
• Member associations briefed by Gianni Infantino on Saturday
• Hospitality and ticketing identified as major drivers of the increase
• Fifa takes 15% from buyer and 15% from seller on secondary-market resales

The figures underline how much of Fifa's tournament income now depends on matchday experience products rather than broadcast and sponsorship deals alone, a shift that has drawn increasing attention from supporter groups concerned about the cost of attending.

Attention will now turn to the formal announcement and to how the additional income is allocated across member associations and development programmes, with the governing body under pressure to show that record earnings translate into wider benefit for the game.