Keep pulling the thread on Henry Bushnell.
FIFA has budgeted to generate approximately $11 billion in total revenue from the World Cup, including from sponsorships and broadcast rights.
FIFA is expected to generate around $3 billion in revenue from ticketing and hospitality alone for the World Cup.
Major League Soccer missed a strategic opportunity by failing to loosen its roster rules and salary cap to attract higher-caliber players ahead of the World Cup.
Tickets for the current World Cup are more than twice as expensive as equivalent tickets for the last World Cup.
As of early June 2024, approximately 10,000 tickets remained available for the US opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.
FIFA priced the opening match between the US and Paraguay as the third most expensive game of the entire World Cup.
FIFA's hospitality revenue for the current World Cup will be significantly higher than any previous tournament, driven by the large capacity of US NFL stadiums.
Gianni Infantino maintains his position as head of FIFA by promising and distributing World Cup revenue to global soccer federations, which then vote for him.
Henry Bushnell believes the high ticket prices for the World Cup are harming the potential for the event to grow the sport of soccer in the United States.
Three-quarters of the World Cup matches, and all games from the quarterfinals onward, will be held in the United States.
The national teams of Argentina, England, and the Netherlands have chosen Kansas City as their base camp for the World Cup.
FIFA's business model for the World Cup aims to monopolize revenue streams, making it difficult for local entities like US Soccer and Major League Soccer to benefit financially.