FIFA is tightening its belt ahead of the 2026 World Cup, slashing over $100 million from its operating budget. This comes despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino projecting record revenues exceeding $11 billion from the tournament.
The cuts are hitting multiple departments at FIFA's Miami headquarters hard. Staff working on safety, logistics, security, and accessibility have all been told to find "efficiencies." Four sources told The Athletic the cuts exceed $100 million and came directly from FIFA's Switzerland headquarters.
FIFA's original budget for 2023-26 projected operational expenses of $1.12 billion for the World Cup. That included $280 million for technical services, $159 million for event transport, and $145 million for safety and security. Now those numbers are being reduced significantly.
Why Is FIFA Making These Cuts?
The likely reason? FIFA has set itself a target to reinvest at least 90 percent of its budgeted investments back into global football development. That sounds noble on paper, but it's creating real problems on the ground.
FIFA argues it's extracting maximum value from the lucrative North American market to benefit football worldwide. Critics suggest FIFA created an arbitrary percentage goal that puts excessive burden on fans and local organizers. Some wonder if these massive returns to federations worldwide might also help Infantino in future FIFA elections.
A FIFA spokesperson dismissed this, calling such claims "pure fiction." They insisted FIFA "will never compromise on operational success, nor on key aspects such as safety and security."
Fans and Cities Pay the Price
Here's where it gets really interesting for anyone planning to attend. Ticket prices for this World Cup are the highest in history. Some standard group-stage tickets cost $700, while a lower-level final ticket will set you back $8,680.
But wait, there's more. FIFA is charging $225 for parking near MetLife Stadium (including disabled parking) and up to $300 at LA's SoFi Stadium. They're also using dynamic pricing and taking a 15 percent cut on both ends of ticket resales on their own platform.
American taxpayers are footing massive bills too. Under FIFA's hosting agreements, cities handle costs for safety, security, and protection while FIFA keeps all revenue from tickets, broadcasts, concessions, sponsorships, and parking. That's billions in taxpayer contributions.
Several host cities are struggling. New York/New Jersey cancelled their FIFA Fan Fest at Liberty State Park. Seattle scaled back its plans. Boston is still searching for $7.8 million in security funding, with the local town of Foxboro threatening to reject their license rather than risk being on the hook.
Congress allocated $625 million for tournament security costs, but the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security means cities haven't received the money yet. Many cities have had to downscale their fan festival plans because they can't sign sponsors that conflict with FIFA's partners.
For bettors and fans planning to attend, this tournament is shaping up to be the most expensive World Cup experience ever. FIFA is deploying about 5,000 workers for smooth operations, but the budget cuts raise questions about what "smooth" really means when safety and security departments are being squeezed.
Representative Darin LaHood, who co-chairs the congressional soccer caucus, defended the arrangements. He argued cities knew what they were signing up for and understood the economic ripple effects. But with fan festivals cancelled and security funding uncertain, some are questioning whether the promised $30 billion economic impact will materialize as advertised.
