FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Bet: Is Women’s Football the Next Global Powerhouse?

In a world where sports empires are built on billion-dollar tournaments, FIFA’s latest ambition stands out: a $1 billion revenue target for the Women’s World Cup. But is this a visionary leap or a high-stakes gamble?

Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, unveiled this goal at the 2025 Saudi Arabia-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh. He highlighted the exponential growth of women’s football and FIFA’s commitment to reinvesting proceeds into the women’s game. The 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, achieved financial break-even, generating over $570 million. Infantino emphasized that the tournament reached the second-highest income of any sport, after the men’s World Cup, on a global stage.

Yet, the path to this ambitious target is fraught with challenges. Sponsorship revenue for the Women’s World Cup lags significantly behind the men’s tournament. Despite having more sponsors than ever before, the 2023 event’s sponsorship revenue was estimated at $300 million, a stark contrast to the $1.7 billion generated for the men’s competition in Qatar.

The disparity raises questions about the commercial viability of women’s football. While viewership and attendance have surged, translating this into substantial revenue remains elusive. Infantino’s call for broadcasters and sponsors to “pay a fair price” for women’s football underscores the need for a paradigm shift in how the sport is valued.

Looking ahead, FIFA plans to expand the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams by 2031, with the U.S. as a likely host. This expansion aims to tap into new markets and increase global participation. However, the success of this strategy hinges on overcoming existing commercial hurdles and ensuring equitable investment in women’s football infrastructure and development.

As FIFA sets its sights on a billion-dollar future, the question remains: Can women’s football evolve from a promising endeavor to a global powerhouse? The answer may lie not just in expanding the tournament, but in transforming the entire ecosystem that supports it.

In the end, FIFA’s ambitious target is more than a financial goal; it’s a litmus test for the future of women’s sports. Will the world embrace this evolution, or will the dream of a billion-dollar Women’s World Cup remain just that—a dream?