Who owns FIFA? How soccer organization works and where its money goes

As the economic windfall from the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes shape, soccer’s governing body looks to be moving quickly toward ensuring the profits don’t stop flowing.

Read more Who owns FIFA? How soccer organization works and where its money goes

FIFA’s handling of the 2026 tournament was heavily criticized, with its business partners’ pursuit of commercialization at the expense of the viewer experience drawing significant ire among the sport’s most ardent supporters.

Still, the venture proved wildly successful in terms of finances. The Switzerland-based non-profit now appears poised to attempt to cement its financial might in the form of a new investment vehicle that could open up the entity’s most famous competition to commercial investment.

With that, here’s what you need to know about FIFA’s organizational hierarchy, its non-profit status and how that influences its revenues (and use of revenues) from the World Cup.

MORE: Is FIFA selling the World Cup?

Who owns FIFA?

FIFA does not have an owner, nor does it have any shareholders. Its value is limitless; soccer’s governing body can earn as much money as it wants, although it is required to reinvest its funds into the sport of soccer. The manner by which the Switzerland-based association spends its earnings is irrelevant; executive salaries and operational costs are classed as legitimate ways to use the profit.

FIFA consists of 211 member states, all of whom belong to one of six regional confederations: CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia), UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), OFC (Oceania) and CONMEBOL (South America).

MORE: List of future World Cup locations

Is FIFA a non-profit organization?

FIFA is officially classed a not-for-profit organization. Its classification is significant; per BBC, the governing body pays little tax in its home nation of Switzerland. The entity also benefits from gaudy tax exemptions, requiring any country bidding to host the World Cup to grant FIFA with full tax concessions.

«Any host country requires a comprehensive tax exemption to be given to Fifa and further parties involved in the hosting and staging of an event,» a FIFA spokesman told BBC in 2010.

FIFA’s non-profit status dates back to the organization’s origins. FIFA was founded in 1904, taking shape decades after the onset of inter-nation matchups. According to British journalist David Goldblatt, FIFA’s designation as a charity stems from its time as a «tiny voluntary organization» operating out of the suburbs of Zurich.

MORE: What we know about FIFA president’s plan for a 64-team World Cup in 2030

How does FIFA make its money?

According to The Athletic, FIFA’s 2023-26 revenue had been budgeted at $13 billion, a 70 percent increase from its previous four-year cycle. Upwards of $9 billion of that total was forceast to arrive in 2026, stemming almost entirely from the World Cup. Predictably, the final revenue figures will swell beyond FIFA’s projections — The Guardian reported that FIFA anticipated recouping $15 billion in revenue for the 2026 tournament.

Most of that money comes from the tripartite powers of television rights sales, hospitality rights and ticket sales. The Athletic reported that nearly 70 percent of the $13 billion bounty FIFA set for itself during this current cycle came from those three directives.

Read more Anthony Smith arrest details: What to know about former UFC fighter facing domestic violence charges

Broadcasting represents the biggest cash cow for FIFA, comprising more than $3 billion of projected income for the governing body this year alone. European broadcasters have traditionally accounted for most of those revenues. In recent years, though, media conglomerates from Asia and North Africa have surged, helping boost television income by some 70 percent between the 2014 and 2022 World Cups.

Interestingly, that projected income figure could have been even larger had FIFA set an appropriate price on its broadcast rights deal in the United States. Fox shelled out $485 million to air the tournament in English in the United States. The New York Times reported that the broadcasting rights were actually valued between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.

FIFA has also authored an impressive business portfolio as of late, striking deals with a handful of corporations, including Bank of America, Lay’s, Lenovo, Verizon and, perhaps most notably, Aramco — Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil business. FIFA and Aramco agreed to a four-year pact in 2024, with Aramco designated as a lead sponsor for the 2025 Intercontinental Cup and 2027 Women’s World Cup in addition to the 2026 tournament.

FIFA has enjoyed an especially chummy relationship with Saudi Arabia, locking down a glittering deal with the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund that bankrolls Newcastle United and LIV Golf, among other entities. In December, FIFA confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men’s World Cup, a little more than a year after Infantino announced on his Instagram that the Gulf nation — the sole bidder for the 2034 competition — would be the tournament’s venue despite the official vote still yet to take place.

Where does FIFA’s money go?

Proponents of Infantino and his predecessors have long claimed that FIFA’s revenues are reinvested into the sport of soccer. Infantino declared as much one day before the World Cup kicked off.

“Every dollar goes back to the development of football,» Infantino said.

Some of FIFA’s revenue is disbursed to its 211 member states and the six member confederations that house them. Most of its budget is spent on operations — FIFA’s chief responsibility is to serve as an adequate World Cup organizer, with around half of its $7.5 billion budget in its current four-year cycle dedicated to use for the 2026 World Cup.

Some of the remaining total was used to expand the Club World Cup, which used to comprise just seven teams but swelled to 32 in 2025. The Women’s World Cup, slated to take place in 2027, had its expenditure budget expanded by $300 million compared to the 2023 tournament, per The Athletic, while smaller tournaments like the U-17 and U-20 World Cups are expected to draw big fees. The same can be said for lesser-known FIFA-backed initiatives like esports, the Intercontinental Cup, the Women’s Futsal World Cup and the Beach Soccer World Cup.

Personnel costs are expected to approach $1 billion this cycle, with Infantino netting $6 million in annual salary in 2025. The eight vice presidents on FIFA’s council earn $300,000, while other members can nab up to $250,000.

In Oct. 2018, the FIFA Council updated its regulations to allow for equity investment. FIFA has summarily redirected some of its profits into an investment portfolio, although the vast majority remains tied up in bonds and money markets.

What does FIFA stand for?

FIFA stands for the Federation Internationale de Football Association. It’s a French title, originating from the governing body’s Parisian roots. FIFA was founded in Paris in 1904 and has maintained its title ever since, even after it moved its headquarters to Zurich in 1932.

Read more Curaçao Investigates Former MGA Chief’s Firm Over €4.1M Payments