Sports and Media
FIFA's Official Competitions for 2025: Growth, Development, and Commercial Expansion
João Guarda
Contributor
FIFA’s 2025 tournaments will reshape global football, with the 32-team Club World Cup in the US (June–July), the U-20 World Cup in Chile (Sept–Oct), and the U-17 World Cup in Qatar (Nov). With FIFA expecting $11 billion in revenue (2023–26), these events will drive commercial growth, sponsorships, and global fan engagement.
FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is crucial to the global governance of football, the most popular sport in the world. FIFA has influenced contemporary football through tournaments, rules, and development initiatives since it was established in 1904. It is essential to look into FIFA's structure, key metrics, earnings, and future objectives in order to completely comprehend its influence, which demonstrates how the organisation continues to influence football on a global basis.
FIFA includes 211 member associations and has a global impact by establishing professional and amateur football standards, upholding the Laws of the Game in partnership with the International Football Association Board (IFAB), while promoting diversity and fair play.
In addition to hosting tournaments, FIFA concentrates on building football facilities, offering funding, and starting programs like FIFA Forward and Football for Schools that encourage youth participation and the professionalisation of football at all levels. FIFA also takes an active position in social responsibility initiatives, such as campaigns against discrimination, programs for gender equality, and sustainability in football.
FIFA's Structure
FIFA employs about 1,000 workers in a variety of sectors, with its headquarters located in Zurich, Switzerland. The structure of the organisation is as follows:
- FIFA President: The top official in charge of managing FIFA's worldwide governance and strategy.
- The FIFA Council, which has 37 members, is the organisation that makes decisions regarding football changes and policies.
- General Secretariat: Under the direction of the Secretary General, this department oversees all aspects of FIFA's day-to-day operations, including marketing, development initiatives, and financing.
- Committees and task forces that oversee FIFA's smooth functioning include those that deal with ethics, governance, competitions, technical support, and commercial activities.
- Regional Confederations: Six regional governing bodies collaborate with FIFA:
- Europe's UEFA
- (South America) CONMEBOL
- North America, Central America and the Caribbean's Football Association, or CONCACAF
- Africa's CAF
- OFC (Oceania)
- AFC (Asia)
Notable people who influenced FIFA
FIFA has changed under the direction of influential people who have fostered its competitions, organisation, and international growth:
- The original FIFA World Cup was introduced in 1930 by Jules Rimet (1921–1954), who was the driving force behind the competition.
- João Havelange (1974–1998): Expanded the World Cup and secured lucrative sponsorships, turning FIFA into a commercial behemoth.
- FIFA's financial prosperity increased under Sepp Blatter (1998–2015), but he was also the subject of scandals and accusations of corruption.
- From 2016 until the present, Gianni Infantino has advocated for the growth of football worldwide and presented plans to expand the World Cup.
FIFA’s revenue in a non-world cup year
The primary sources of income of FIFA include licensing agreements, sponsorships, and television rights. FIFA's revenue varies between $1.5 billion to $2 billion in non-World Cup years and exceeds $7 billion in World Cup years. The vast majority of the money is allocated to support international football, including tournament organisation, grassroots development, and infrastructure campaigns.
Up to half a billion dollars USD will be spent by FIFA in 2025 on events like the club world cup and youth and beach football contests. The majority of this money will come from marketing and licensing rights, of which the agreement with British sports broadcaster Dazn is most notable.
Future objectives and projects
Image Credits: US needs to travel reforms to cope with mega sports events - Free Malaysia Today
FIFA has big plans to promote football throughout the world:
- FIFA World Cup expansion: There will be 48 teams in the 2026 competition, enhancing representation and participation.
- Club World Cup Expansion: In 2025, a 32-team Club World Cup will be established, giving teams a larger global audience.
- Growth in Women's Football: More money is being spent on professional leagues and the Women's World Cup.
- Football Development Initiatives: More than $1.2 billion has been set aside for infrastructural and grassroots football initiatives.
- Technology and Sustainability: Plans for carbon-neutral competitions and developments in VAR (Video Assistant Referee).
- FIFA keeps developing, promoting innovation, investment, and inclusivity to propel the expansion of football worldwide.
FIFA's 2025 tournaments: Broadening the audience and financial gains for football
FIFA will hold a number of significant tournaments in 2025, thus enhancing its influence on the growth of football worldwide. These events, which range from the expanded Club World Cup to important youth competitions and beach football, foster the development of talent while increasing income through sponsorships, television, and merchandise, influencing the future of the sport and FIFA's business plan.
Dates: June 14th June to July 13th, 2025
Location: United States
Format: Eight groups of four are formed from 32 teams, and the top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.
The FIFA Club World Cup is one of the most significant club competitions in FIFA's history, having grown significantly from earlier iterations. Top-ranked clubs and champions from several confederations will compete in the tournament, enhancing its reputation.
FIFA's Expectations: By enabling more teams to play at the highest level, the expanded format seeks to further globalise club football. FIFA anticipates that this model will improve club participation, fortify ties between nations, and increase the tournament's allure.
Commercial Revenues: FIFA expects a significant increase in sponsorship and television rights due to a larger team lineup and a host nation like the United States, where football is expanding quickly. It is anticipated that ticket sales, merchandise, and online interaction will bring in a sizable sum of money for the tournament. FIFA's 2023–2026 budget anticipates $11 billion in total revenue, and the Club World Cup is anticipated to be a key factor in reaching this goal.
Dates: September 27th to October 19th, 2025
Location: Chile
Format: Teams made of players under the age of 20 compete in a tournament, representing their national teams.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is a crucial competition for developing talent because it features young athletes who are frequently about to make their senior professional football debut. This competition helped several international superstars, like Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, become well-known throughout the world.
FIFA's Expectations: As part of its effort to develop young talent, FIFA views this tournament as crucial. By exposing young athletes to intense international competition, the tournament aids in the identification of future stars by club scouts and national teams. It is also an important step in FIFA's mission to promote young football globally.
Commercial Revenues: The U-20 World Cup is nonetheless profitable even though it doesn't bring in as much money as senior competitions. Strong brand associations result from sponsors and broadcasters realising the tournament's importance in showcasing up-and-coming talent. Its revenue is derived from ticket sales, regional television agreements, and partnerships with young people.
Dates: November 5th till November 27th, 2025
Location: Qatar
Format: Players under the age of 17 compete for their national teams.
With an emphasis on identifying and developing talent, this tournament introduces young players to international competition. In the past, it has been crucial to the advancement of many elite football players' careers.
FIFA's Expectations: FIFA hopes to raise the bar for youth competitions and further the development of football in the Middle East by holding this event in Qatar. The competition helps national federations find talented athletes by promoting early international exposure.
Commercial Revenues: Rather than short-term financial advantages, the U-17 World Cup's commercial value is found in long-term investments. FIFA's partners, who include big sponsors like Adidas and Coca-Cola, see the event as a chance to link their companies to football's future. Revenue is also generated by ticket sales, item sales, and broadcasting rights.
4. Seychelles 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™
Image Credits: Beach Soccer World Cup 2008 - Wikimedia Commons
Dates: May 1st to May 11th, 2025 Location: Seychelles
Format: Five-a-side beach football matches between national teams.
A rising subset of FIFA's portfolio is beach football, which offers a distinct style of play that prioritises entertainment and technical aptitude. A devoted following attends the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, especially in coastal areas where the sport is very well-liked.
FIFA's Expectations: FIFA sees beach football as a chance to reach new audiences and expand its football offers. The federation wants to expand participation in non-traditional football areas and diversify the sport's appeal.
Commercial Revenues: Although beach football has a niche market appeal, it does not produce the same commercial returns as big football competitions. Sponsorships from companies that specialise in sportswear, tourism, and leisure fit in nicely with the tournament's ethos. Its smaller scale also enables cost-effective operations while maintaining high levels of engagement, especially on digital media.
FIFA's 2025 competitions: A pivotal year for global football
FIFA's 2025 tournament calendar demonstrates its dual commitment to football development and commercial growth. The expanded FIFA Club World Cup will provide a global platform for club competition, while the U-20 and U-17 World Cups will develop future stars. Meanwhile, the Beach Soccer World Cup demonstrates FIFA's ambition for expanding football formats and reaching new audiences.
These tournaments not only improve worldwide engagement, but also reinforce FIFA's commercial base through increasing sponsorships, TV agreements, and fan participation. As FIFA continues to innovate, 2025 will be a watershed moment in determining the sport's future and economic sustainability.
