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Good morning football fans. It’s Wednesday, July. 22 - FIFA exceeds World Cup revenue projections, Liga MX officially ends promotion and relegation for good, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
TOP TALKING POINTS
FIFA’s Record Revenue
FIFA’s revenue is expected to top $15bn for the four-year cycle ending with the 2026 World Cup, exceeding the governing body’s projections by around $3bn. Reports suggest around $9bn was generated by the 2026 World Cup alone.
Much of the revenue growth appears to be the result of ticketing and hospitality, the Financial Times reports (paywall). Fifa’s dynamic pricing and the launch of its own resale platform, which took 15% from both the buyer and seller on each transaction, were key drivers of this growth. While Fifa’s own projections suggest a drop in ticketing and hospitality income of around $1bn for the 2030 four-year cycle, analysts predict that TV broadcast rights will command much higher bids. Advertising inventory from hydration breaks, which Fifa hasn’t ruled out repeating at future tournaments, is likely to become a key part of broadcast packages.
The expansion of the World Cup, from 32 to 48 teams, also contributed to revenue growth. Earlier this month, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the governing body would discuss expanding the competition again to 64 teams. The proposal has found support from South American football’s governing body Conmebol, with president Alejandro Dominguez posting on social media on Monday that the 2030 World Cup will be a “64-team tournament,” though there’s no confirmation this statement is true.
UEFA Boycotted Final
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin chose not to attend the 2026 World Cup final in protest against Fifa, multiple reports have confirmed.
The move comes after several public disagreements between the two governing bodies. Reports suggest the main source of contention was Fifa’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on Folarin Balogun after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. Uefa described the decision as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable”.
Before the tournament, Ceferin criticised Fifa's ticketing of the World Cup, saying the high prices risked “taking football away from fans.” Uefa later announced it would not use dynamic pricing for tickets at Euro 2028 and that more than 40% of tickets at the competition, hosted in the United Kingdom and Ireland, will cost £60 ($80) or less. Further, in what was viewed as a snub to Fifa, Uefa announced that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will referee the Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa (August 12), shortly after he was denied entry into the United States to officiate World Cup games.
Promotion-Relegation Ended
Mexico’s top-flight league, Liga MX, has officially ended promotion and relegation, having initially only suspended the format during the pandemic. Traditionally, one club was promoted, and one club was relegated, but the move to abolish merit-based promotion and relegation comes as the league focuses on a franchise-style model, similar to that of Major League Soccer.
Over the past five years, despite legal challenges, first-division teams haven’t faced the threat of relegation, easing financial pressure on clubs following the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2025, sport’s highest court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, rejected an appeal from six second-tier clubs to reinstate promotion and relegation immediately, confirming that the 2026-27 season was the earliest the model could be reintroduced.
However, shortly before the Liga MX Apertura season began on Thursday, Article 35 of the competition’s rules confirmed that clubs will no longer move between divisions based on performance: “Beginning with the 2026–2027 season, Liga MX clubs will not be relegated to Expansion MX, and Expansion MX clubs will not be promoted to Liga MX.” Clubs finishing at the bottom of the coefficient table will also no longer have to pay fines. Supporters of the change argue it will strengthen long-term investment and club development.
See Liga MX fixtures here.
POLL
Do you think removing relegation contributes to the long-term development of clubs?
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ON THE BALL
Europe
> Chelsea have completed the signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a British record transfer fee of £117m (More) | West Ham have agreed to sell Crysencio Summerville for €80m to Saudi Pro League’s Al Hilal (More) | Former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has joined Portugal’s Benfica on a season-long loan from Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr; it is his seventh club aged 22 (More); see every deal in Europe’s top five leagues (More)
> Liverpool FC could be valued at more than $6bn amid talks between owners Fenway Sports Group and investors over a minority stake sale (More) | Premier League referee Antony Taylor, 47, has announced his retirement from refereeing after officiating 831 games (More)
> Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Kevin Keegan has passed away aged 75 after revealing last month that he had stage four cancer (More)
> The World Cup Final attracted a peak audience of 15.8 million across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, giving the BBC a 64% share of all TV viewing (More)
Americas
> Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will take some time off before rejoining Inter Miami for the MLS season following their World Cup run (More) | Antoine Griezmann is set to make his Orlando City debut Wednesday (More); see upcoming MLS fixtures on Wednesday (July 22) (More) and Conference Standings (More)
> Fifa has opened an investigation into Argentina’s actions following the full-time whistle at the World Cup final, as well as the banners held in the semi-final (More)
> Head coach of NWSL side Gotham FC Juan Carlos Amoros will take a five-week parental leave following the birth of his second child (More)
Rest of the World
> Spain have climbed back to the top of Fifa men’s world rankings, while World Cup runners-up Argentina dropped to second place (More)
> A new owner for Australian A-League side Canberra United has been announced after two years of uncertainty for the two-time A-League Women champions (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Friday’s Poll: Should FIFA abolish the World Cup third-place play-off?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (62%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (36%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 K.B: “What's the point? Both teams are on massive downers after losing the semi-finals, and will probably field a second-string team to give the key players a rest. Some of these players have played 60-plus games already this season. Let them rest and make sure they don't pick up an injury. I don't think their clubs will appreciate them adding an unnecessary game at the end of a long season.”
👍 J.M: “No-one wants to play it. No-one really cares about the outcome. Completely pointless match.”
🙅♂️ W.L: “It is the only game in the tournament where both teams can prioritise offence without taking much of a hit should they lose. It is an enjoyable game to watch for neutral observers. It provides something to brag about for the less feared teams who make it to the semi-finals.”
✍️ J.F: “No, however, any goals or assists that players get shouldn't add to their official World Cup tally. Their World Cup is over as losers of the semifinals, and this match should be deemed an exhibition match. This isn't the Olympics. Padding stats is a ridiculous option for the game since some teams totally switch off, play loads of subs, and couldn't care less.”
EXTRA TIME
A 1-of-1 Messi and Yamal trading card will be released.
… and Man City auction Guardiola’s office equipment.
Mbappe’s EA Sports FC 27 cover photo revealed.
How the World Cup helped or hindered each Premier League club.
… and why the World Cup can be a game-changer for the MLS.
Juventus unveil pink away shirt.
Here’s how much fans paid for the World Cup final.
Most Instagram followers gained by players during the World Cup.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Only eight nations have won the men’s World Cup in history. Can you name them?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
Football won.
Answer
Uruguay. Brazil. Germany. Italy. Spain. England. Argentina. France.