Many football fans are keen to know how much the World Cup costs in all ramifications.
The world cup is the most anticipated and the biggest sporting event in the world.
And one of the reasons why it’s regarded as the most anticipated sporting event is simply because it is hosted every four years.
Everyone is always captivated by the excitement of the World Cup and during this event, countries unify, forget their differences and come together to support their team.
However, in this post, you will learn:
- The overview cost of the FIFA world cup
- Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup cost
- Overview of Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup
- The 2022 FIFA world cup ticket cost
- Benefits of hosting the FIFA world cup
And lots more.
With that being said, let’s break down how much it costs to host a World Cup.
What It Takes To Host A World Cup
To host a World Cup, certain things must be put in place. By the way, find out how a host nation is decided.
By estimates, the FIFA World Cup costs around $25 to $60 billion at the very least.
Here, we’ll highlight these important things that should be done and we’ll provide an estimate of how much they cost.
In essence, you’ll have a general overview cost of hosting a World Cup irrespective of where and when it is being hosted.
The 4 most important infrastructures that a host nation must invest in are Football stadiums, transportation, accommodation, and Airport upgrade.
See below a table that breaks this down.
| Infrastructure | Estimated Cost ($) |
|---|---|
| Football Stadiums | $10 to $20 billion |
| Transportation | $5 to $10 billion |
| Hospitality & Accommodation | $10 to $30 billion |
| Airport Upgrade | $15 to $30 billion |
| Estimated Total | $25 to $60 billion |
Football Stadiums
The World Cup matches would be played in the Stadium, so fixing them has to be a top priority.
A World Cup host nation must have at least 5 world-class (FIFA standard) stadiums.
The actual cost to allocate to Stadiums largely depends on how far or close such a country is to the standard required.
Related: Best Soccer Stadiums In The US
Transportation
A World Cup host nation would have an influx of foreigners visiting the country and these must engage in a form of transportation.
Therefore, transportation must be well catered to.
Hospitality & Accommodation
Foreigners and visitors must have a place to stay during the World Cup campaign.
A host nation must be able to make adequate provisions for this.
Airport
Many foreigners will fly into the country so it is compulsory for a host nation to ensure that the Airports are in good shape and adequate for a large influx.
How Much Does The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Cost?
The Qatar 2022 World Cup costs a reported $229 Billion. See below for a more detailed breakdown of the cost.
| Infrastructure | Estimated Cost ($) |
|---|---|
| Stadiums | $40.5 billion |
| Hospitality | $71 billion |
| New Sewers | $4.5 billion |
| Water desalination | $5.9 billion |
| Treatments plants | $5.4 billion |
| Motorways | $68.5 billion |
| Rail links | $8.2 billion |
| Airport upgrades | $15 billion |
| Others (Miscellaneous) | $10 billion |
| Total | $229 billion |
It is important to mention that the Qatar 2022 World Cup is by far the most expensive World Cup ever.
Why Is Qatar World Cup So Expensive?
With an estimation of $229 billion spent so far, Qatar’s 2022 FIFA world cup is considered to be the most expensive in FIFA world cup history.
But this huge figure is due to some understandable reasons.
According to reports, Qatar has to spend money on expanding the infrastructure of its capital, Doha, which includes airports, roads with the construction of eight new stadiums, and complete renovation of some parts of the country.
How Much Does A World Cup Ticket Cost In 2022
The World Cup ticket in Qatar is within the range of $69 – $1,000 depending on the following factors:
- Nationality
- Importance of the match
- Type of Seat or Stadium view
- Foreigner or a Qatari resident.
What Benefits Will The FIFA World Cup Bring To Qatar?
According to various studies, Qatar’s 2022 FIFA world cup will contribute over $500 billion (or its worth) to Qatar’s economy.
In fact, other neighboring nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and U.A.E will reap the benefits of the Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup.
From all development and investment in preparation for the world cup, it’s going to be used as a center of business.
As it is now, Qatar’s stock exchange market has outperformed its peers due to the 2022 FIFA world cup and it’s expected to keep growing after the tournament.
In fact, Qatar believed that hosting the FIFA world cup will create more jobs in the country beyond the sport.
See below some other benefits the FIFA world cup will bring to Qatar:
Football Becomes More Popular
This might not be a big deal for a small country with a small population such as Qatar, but it will be a boost for the surrounding nations too.
Better Infrastructure
It gives an excuse to develop infrastructure that will become useful for later games and training.
Economic boost
The government infuses money into the economy, a lot more trade happens and a lot of local businesses make money.
Maybe big engineering firms come in and locals are exposed to different engineering methods gaining work experience and knowledge.
Tourism
Loads of tourists will enter the nation, and more luxury hotels will come into the country, which means more construction, more FDI, more luxury taxes, tourists will spend like crazy, and more flights will mean more money to be made in the airport fees, etc.
Exposure
A host nation becomes famous all over the world.
How many people knew about Brazil’s smaller cities or districts before the world cup? Now people have heard of Manaus, Belo Horizonte, Natal, Recife, etc.
Hosting the FIFA world cup puts a country on the map.
How Much Does The World Cup Winner Get?
The winner of the Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup will get a sum of $42 million while the second runner-up will get $30 million.
Compared to the previous FIFA world cup, FIFA announced that they had earned a record $7.5 billion in revenue from the Qatar 2022 FIFA world cup with lots of commercial deals, top-tier sponsors, and broadcast deals.
How Much Does The FIFA World Cup Trophy Cost?
The FIFA world cup is the most expensive trophy in sporting events and it’s valued at $20 billion.
It’s a solid gold trophy that weighs 6.1 kilograms, and it’s made of gold-plated sterling silver and lapis lazuli.
Final Thought
The cost of the world cup can be so pricey but the benefits by far outweigh the cost. Eventually, it is good business.
In the case of Qatar, the 2022 World Cup costs the nation an estimated $229 billion. But the nation would likely earn about $500 billion worth of revenue and other benefits.
No nation ever hosted the world cup and became worse off economically.
But the big question now is: how much will the next World Cup cost? Only time will tell.
