The 2026 North and Central America World Cup has been mired in a range of controversies, including political interference and high ticket prices, but analysts say the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) posted record revenue, further solidifying President Gianni Infantino's standing.
On the 7th (local time), Bloomberg, in a column titled "FIFA Emerges Even Richer From a World Cup of Controversies," said, "Most controversies will be forgotten once the tournament ends, but only massive revenue and stronger power will remain for FIFA."
This tournament faced unrelenting criticism over fairness and operations due to high ticket prices, political interference, and the exclusion of certain countries and referees. Ticket prices for this tournament started at a minimum of $140 (about 210,000 won), and with dynamic pricing tied to demand, the price of a ticket for the final reportedly exceeded $4,000 (603,000 won). In addition, Omar Artan, known as the "first World Cup referee of Somali origin," was denied entry to the United States.
In particular, controversy over fairness intensified recently after FIFA allowed U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, who had been handed a suspension following pressure from President Trump, to play.
On the 2nd, Balogun scored the opener in the United States' 2-0 win in Bosnia and Herzegovina's round of 32 match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. However, he was sent off with a red card for stepping on an opponent's ankle during the match. A red card triggers a suspension for the next game, which meant Balogun could not play in the round of 16 against Belgium on the 7th.
However, FIFA notified the U.S. Soccer Federation on the 5th that it would defer for one year the enforcement of Balogun's one-match suspension. Later, President Trump told reporters that he asked President Infantino to review the red card decision on Balogun.
Nick De Marco, a U.K.-based sports lawyer, noted, "The issue is not the propriety of the red card decision but whether FIFA has undermined the World Cup's fairness and its own authority as the global regulator of soccer."
Bloomberg, however, assessed that these controversies did little to dent FIFA's box office performance. Rather, FIFA is expected to earn about $9 billion (13 trillion won) in direct income from this World Cup. That is about $2 billion (3 trillion won) more than the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Infantino's footing has also grown firmer. He plans to seek a third term at the FIFA Congress to be held in Morocco in 2027. The Asian, African and South American football confederations have publicly declared their support. Sheikh Salman, president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), said, "FIFA is in the best position in its history."
In contrast, criticism continues in Europe. Jurgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager, said, "Soccer is our sport, not theirs," adding, "If President Trump and President Infantino solved the problem through a deal between the two of them, everything can only be in doubt."
Bloomberg said, "Despite various controversies, most matches at this World Cup were sellouts, and thanks to star players' performances and an expanded field, it was a commercial success," adding, "In the end, President Infantino, backed by massive revenue and the support of member associations, has secured even greater power."