COUNTING THE COST OF THE FIFA 2022 WORLD CUP

FIFA will make a fortune, Qatar will shell out billions of dollars, but the planet will end up paying the biggest price

MICHAEL FISHER

SINCE QATAR won the bid in 2010 to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the country has been busy preparing for the prestigious event that kicked off on 20 November 2022. The World Cup, which will see 32 national teams compete (starting with a match between Qatar and Ecuador), will attract some 1.5 million visitors to the tiny desert country.

The tournament is expected to bring $4.5 billion in revenue (for FIFA)-which, however, is dwarfed by the estimated investment of $220 billion Qatar has had to make to prepare for the World Cup.

This mammoth amount includes the cost of constructing seven new stadiums and the renovation of another one, as well as the building of roads, hotels, a metro system, and other infrastructure necessary to accommodate such a huge number of visitors to a country which is practically a desert.

However, it is unclear how much Qatar itself will profit from hosting the event or indeed if it will make a profit at all.

World Cup 2022 economics: Who pays for what According to FIFA, the organisation will cover all operating costs associated with the hosting of the World Cup, including $440 million in prize money. This is an increase of $40 million on the previous tournament held in Russia in 2018, and up $82 million from the prize money that was allocated for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

World Cup 2022 economics: Who pays for what

 According to FIFA, the organisation will cover all operating costs associated with the hosting of the World Cup, including $440 million in prize money. This is an increase of $40 million on the previous tournament held in Russia in 2018, and up $82 million from the prize money that was allocated for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA has also made payments of $1.5 million covering preparation costs, guaranteeing that every participating country will return home with at least $10.5 million.