New Brand Finance data values the FIFA World Cup brand at $5.2 billion, as the expanded 48-team edition across the US, Canada and Mexico sets the stage for record commercial returns
LONDON, 24 June 2026 – The FIFA World Cup brand is worth USD5.2 billion in 2026, according to new data from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. This marks a 244% increase in brand value since the 2010 South Africa tournament, when the brand was valued at USD1.5 billion. This valuation relates solely to the FIFA Men's World Cup and does not include the contribution of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The steepest single-cycle increase came between 2018 and 2022, when brand value surged by 71%. That growth has continued despite the reputational pressures that followed Qatar 2022, reaching a new high for the 2026 tournament.
The 2026 edition - the first to feature an expanded 48-team format and be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico - will be the tournament's most commercially ambitious yet. But the data points to a growing tension at the heart of modern football: record commercial value sits alongside mounting questions about accessibility, governance and who the World Cup is truly for.
Brand Finance data reveals sponsorship revenue is the largest contributor to the FIFA World Cup brand, accounting for USD1.9 billion of brand value in 2026. FIFA's sponsorship portfolio includes long-standing global partners like Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa and Hyundai-Kia, alongside newer commercial agreements with brands seeking access to the tournament's unparalleled international audience.
Beyond FIFA's own revenues, the World Cup creates significant value for its commercial partners. While not included in Brand Finance's valuation of the tournament itself, association with the competition can strengthen brand visibility, awareness and consumer engagement on a global scale, underlining the broader economic impact of the World Cup ecosystem. Further analysis of sponsorship value creation will be explored in upcoming Brand Finance research.
Broadcasting rights follow closely at USD1.8 billion, reflecting broadcasters’ continued willingness to pay premium fees for access to one of the world’s largest live sporting audiences. Major long-term agreements, including Fox in the U.S., provide FIFA with significant revenue visibility and reinforce the tournament’s global reach. Together, sponsorship and broadcasting account for more than two-thirds of the FIFA World Cup’s total brand value.
Ticketing contributes a further USD809 million in brand value, licensing and merchandise USD397 million, with other revenue streams, including hospitality, digital products, and ancillary commercial activities, contribute approximately USD313 million in brand value.
Scott Moore, Head of Sports Services, Brand Finance commented:
“The FIFA World Cup brand’s $5.2 billion valuation reflects both its resilience and its opportunity. What’s particularly striking is that brands, broadcasters and fans are still showing up in force - the tournament itself often transcends the politics around it. However, global appeal brings heightened expectations. With more teams, more matches and three host nations, the opportunity is significant – but so too is the pressure on FIFA to protect and enhance one of the most valuable and influential brands in global sport."
As the principal host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. also enters the tournament as the world's top-ranked Soft Power nation and ranks third globally for influence in sport, according to the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index. With billions expected to engage worldwide, the World Cup presents a significant test of U.S. Soft Power, bringing both opportunities to enhance its reputation and risks of intensified global scrutiny.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
