After a 3-3 draw that went to a penalty shootout, Argentina beat France in a thrilling final match that went down the wire.

Now the 2022 World Cup is over, and this year’s tournament leaves behind a legacy of stunning upsets and off-field controversy — along with record viewership and spending.

Hosted by Qatar, the biggest sports event in the world saw fans surpass spending totals from each of the prior two tournaments as soccer legend Lionel Messi finally added a World Cup title to his long list of accomplishments.

Before the quarterfinals, fans had already spent 89% of what they did at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, according to FIFA’s payments partner Visa — even despite a late-breaking ban on in-stadium alcoholic beverage sales.

• More than 760,000 fans made the trip to Qatar for the month-long event.
• The country spent roughly $300 billion on infrastructure projects to prepare for the tournament. 

Viewership expectations are high for Argentina-France. The semifinal match between Argentina and Croatia on Dec. 13 drew 6.47 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched World Cup semifinal on English-language TV.

Argentina’s $42 million in prize money is also the most in tournament history.

Coming to America 

The 2026 World Cup, which will be played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, may be the tournament’s largest edition to date, potentially expanding from 32 to 48 teams, and could host as many 104 matches.

FIFA expects to generate $11 billion in revenue during the 2023-26 commercial cycle, thanks in part to lucrative sponsorships and media deals.

Comparatively, FIFA recorded $7.5 billion in revenue during the 2019-22 cycle.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the league meetings last Wednesday that negotiations for NFL Sunday Ticket were at a “very critical point.”

There were dueling reports Friday that stated both Apple had all but finalized the deal, and that was followed by news that the the tech giant had withdrawn from the protracted negotiations.

A source with knowledge of the negotiations told Front Office Sports to not count Apple out just yet as the talks are set to stretch into 2023.

The NFL is seeking to nearly double the $1.5 billion DirecTV currently pays annually for Sunday Ticket. 

DirecTV has carried the NFL’s out-of-market game package exclusively since its inception in 1994.

• Apple has been seen as the frontrunner for weeks, especially after it inked a deal to make Apple Music the league’s new Super Bowl Halftime Show partner in September.
• Amazon, which is in its first year as the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, remains in the mix.
• Google is also a would-be landing spot for Sunday Ticket, which would likely be sold as an add-on for its YouTube TV service.

Only Major NFL Package Left

The NFL created in-market streaming service NFL+ before the season, leaving Sunday Ticket as the final U.S. major rights package that’s not locked up.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in this,” Goodell said of Sunday Ticket. “Our decisions are not based on timelines. They’re based on getting the best outcome.”

Mark Cuban has a vision for the Dallas Mavericks’ future home — but it will take more than dollars to make it happen.

Cuban would like the NBA team he owns to play in an arena at the center of a resort and casino — if and when gambling is legalized in the Lone Star State.

• The owner said he would partner with Las Vegas Sands on the project.
• Sports betting remains illegal in Texas.

The major Texas-based sports teams have all joined the Sports Betting Alliance, a group founded in 2021 with the goal of legalizing sports betting that includes former state governor Rick Perry.

The effort could also be of particular interest to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who owns Golden Nugget casinos in five states.

Voters Decide?

Texas state senator Carol Alvarado, a Houston-based Democrat, is pushing legislation that would put the decision on sports betting in the hands of the voters.

Her initiative, which requires approval by two-thirds of the state’s House and Senate, would put an initiative on the November ballot that would create the Texas Gaming Commission and allow it to issue licenses for up to four resorts in metropolitan areas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has opposed expanded gambling in the past but appeared to soften his stance during his recent reelection campaign, while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is a staunch opponent.

FIFA is revamping its Club World Cup — and making a big addition.

Soccer’s global governing body announced on Friday that the 2025 Club World Cup will expand to 32 teams and take place every four years. Currently, only continental champions from each of the six confederations in world soccer and the host nation’s domestic champion compete.

• The 2025 edition could boost FIFA’s revenue to more than $11 billion during the corresponding commercial cycle.
• “All the details will be developed in due course,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. “We will decide where it will take place in the next weeks.”
• FIFA will also launch friendly tournaments called the FIFA World Series.

Morocco, which organized the Club World Cup in 2013 and 2014 — and made an impressive run to the semifinal of the 2022 World Cup — will host the 2022 competition in February. The tournament is usually held in December but was delayed due to the conflicting Qatar tournament.

The 2030 World Cup host will be decided in 2024.

Women’s Wins

FIFA is also working on more opportunities for women.

The body announced plans to introduce the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup and establish the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup. The current international match calendar will remain unchanged until 2025.

The 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup hosts will be chosen in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

FIFA also endorsed expanding the women’s tournament at the Olympics from 12 to 16 teams.