Host Countries Earn from the World Cup? The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and an international football/soccer competition. Every four years, Federation Internationale de Football Association [FIFA] members compete for the World Cup Champion title. Except for 1942 and 1946, due to World War II, subsequent FIFA World Cup competitions have been contested every four years since the 1930 inaugural event.
Thanks to record-breaking viewership figures, including more than 3.5 billion viewers. During the 2018 finals tournament, the FIFA World Cup is regarded as the most viewed sporting event on the planet.
In the end, France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia. The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar from November 21 to December 17. It is the first time a Middle Eastern nation has hosted the competition. Mexico will be the first three-time host when it co-hosts the event with Canada and the United States in 2026.
World Cup of FIFA Qualification
Due to the scale of the competition, making the FIFA World Cup finals tournament is a noteworthy feat in and of itself. One team represented each member nation in the initial field for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Which will be reduced to 32 teams over three years of qualifying matches (which began in June 2019) before the main tournament.
Host Countries Earn from the World Cup. However, FIFA has announced that the finals will grow to include 48 teams in time for the 2026 tournament, so the 2022 tournament will be the last to feature 32 finalists.
Host Nations for the FIFA World Cup
FIFA’s selection procedure for host nations has changed significantly over time. Due to the inefficiencies of international travel, the choice of a host nation at first caused controversy. The first FIFA World Cup was hosted in Uruguay (South America), with few European teams participating. At the same time, the following two tournaments were held in Europe, with many South American teams pulling out.
FIFA started to alternate between the Americas and Europe with each new event to avoid any perceived favoritism. This policy was upheld until 2002, when South Korea and Japan jointly hosted Asia’s first World Cup finals.
Host Countries Earn from the World Cup. Since those early days, air travel and FIFA’s selection procedure have advanced significantly, resulting in a much more appropriate and reliable method. Each potential host nation begins the process by submitting a bid to FIFA’s Bid Evaluation Task Force years in advance.
Since the first World Cup in 1930, seventeen nations have hosted the competition’s twenty-one events. Initially, the organization gave countries hosting rights during FIFA Congress meetings. Given the three-week boat trip between South America and Europe, the two football powerhouses at the time, the choice of venue for the first tournaments was contentious. Due to the inaugural Cup being held in Uruguay, only four European countries participated.
The following two World Cups took place in Europe. The second of these, the 1938 FIFA World Cup, was chosen to be held in France. Which caused controversy because the South American nations had been misled into believing that the World Cup would alternate between the two continents.
Hosting Countries Making Money
Over five billion viewers are anticipated to tune in to witness the athletic extravaganza in Qatar, with more than a million people attending the events. An event like this generates enormous sums of money from ticket and merchandise sales, corporate sponsorship, prize money, and tourism. Does it, however, make financial sense for the host nation?
The quick response is no. Most World Cup host nations invest tens of billions in planning, infrastructure development, hotel construction, and other related activities. Most of the time, at least not in terms of hard currency, much of that is not recovered.
The World Cup is undoubtedly profitable. For a total of $4.6 billion, the TV rights to the 2018 World Cup in Russia were sold to international media outlets. However, FIFA, football’s global governing body, maintains that. The same goes for ticket sales, managed by a subsidiary business that FIFA owns entirely.
FIFA also retains the marketing rights, which generated over $1 billion in revenue in the 2018 cycle. However, the organization pays Qatar roughly $1.7 billion to host the competition; this sum includes a $440 million prize pool for the teams.
Winning Hosts
On December 2, 2010, Russia and Qatar were named the winning hosts for 2018 and 2022. The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be hosted by three countries (the United States, Mexico, and Canada). But it’s believed that Qatar spent more than $200 billion on the World Cup and its infrastructure, including hotels and recreational facilities, a new road system, and a rail system.
Host Countries Earn from the World Cup. Over a million foreign visitors are anticipated during the month-long event. The host nation will experience a surge in tourism, raising revenue for hoteliers, restaurateurs, and other business owners. However, such a spike necessitates the construction of more capacity, which comes at a cost that is typically far higher than the short-term profits.
Who gains shortly?
According to the World Economic Forum, hotel costs increase when there are sell-out events. Still, service worker wages may not rise by the same amount, indicating that capital returns will likely outweigh labor returns. Wealthy people generate income. People that lack it do not.
Germany’s campaign to host the 2006 World Cup highlighted $272 million in tax benefits. To avoid the crowds, traffic, and exorbitant prices during a World Cup, non-World Cup tourists typically steer clear of the host nation. Without a match ticket for Qatar 2022, you will not be allowed entry into the nation from November 1 through the conclusion of the World Cup.
Hosting a World Cup of football is not economically advantageous, at least not shortly. However, certain things are worth more than money.
World Cup _ Projection of Soft Power
A World Cup host nation engages in soft power projection. It provides a window into that nation and demonstrates how its improved infrastructure makes it a desirable location for business and investment. Host Countries Earn from the World Cup.
In the long run, the money spent on hosting can help a nation’s economy grow if properly managed. After the World Cup, new infrastructure and transportation initiatives will continue to boost the economy.
Huge international sporting events unite people from different cultures and nations; at the 2018 Winter Olympics, athletes from North and South Korea entered the stadium, flying the same flag. These events also encourage kids to participate in sports, which helps the host country’s healthcare system financially.
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