FIFA President Gianni Infantino has declared that the FIFA World Cup 2026, held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has unlocked fresh commercial possibilities for global football investment — and he intends to seize every one of them.

Speaking to representatives of FIFA's 211 Member Associations at a meeting in New York on the eve of the tournament's final, Infantino said the event had "opened a lot of doors, a lot of opportunities, a lot of possibilities" that football's governing body had yet to fully exploit.

A record-breaking revenue cycle

Infantino revealed he expects FIFA to surpass USD 15 billion in total revenue for the 2023–2026 cycle — an unprecedented figure for world football. The windfall, he stressed, flows directly from the sporting credibility of the World Cup itself.

"The revenues and the financial economic success come only if the sporting side is right," he told member representatives. "We need to put the FIFA World Cup always at the centre of everything we do in football. Everything else has to come after that."

Development funding reaches new heights

A significant share of that income feeds FIFA Forward, the body's flagship development programme for Member Associations. Infantino confirmed that FIFA Forward funding is set to reach a record USD 2.7 billion for the 2027–2030 cycle — an eight-fold increase since the initiative launched a decade ago. Over his tenure, FIFA has channelled USD 5.1 billion into football development worldwide.

"In the vast majority of the world — in 80 percent of the world — if we don't invest, if we don't believe, nobody will," Infantino said. "The concentration will always go to a few big countries, and we will remain as we are."

Expanding the game's reach

Infantino pointed to several upcoming milestones: the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 in Brazil, revised Under-20 and Under-17 competitions, and the newly launched FIFA Under-15 World Cup & Festival as evidence of football's expanding ambition. He also acknowledged ongoing debate about whether the men's World Cup should grow beyond its current 48-team format to 64 teams, insisting any decision rests with the Member Associations themselves.

"FIFA is a democracy," he said. "The members have to decide, and you will decide what you think is right for the future."

Re-election pledge and a promise to deliver

Infantino thanked "more than 200" Member Associations that have already pledged support for his re-election bid, announced at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada in late April 2026. He framed a potential new term as an opportunity to deepen investment in every corner of the game.

"We will continue to work together to really unleash this whole commercial potential that we have — to make football even better, even bigger, even more global all over the world," he said. "And you can count on me for that."