According to L'Équipe, hosting the FIFA World Cup has always been expensive, with costs for recent editions soaring significantly. Over the past 20 years, the cost of hosting each FIFA World Cup has increased with each tournament, with one notable exception: the 2026 event co-hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. FIFA estimates this tournament will cost around 12 billion euros—substantially less than the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup.

The cost of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is only marginally higher than the 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup, which cost 11.4 billion euros, according to estimates from sports economics website Front Office Sports.

Costs Peaked in 2022

The 2006 Germany FIFA World Cup cost approximately 4.3 billion euros. Since then, hosting costs have risen sharply: the 2010 South Africa FIFA World Cup was estimated to cost between 4.2 billion and 6.3 billion euros. The 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup saw costs surge to 11 billion euros. However, the most expensive host to date remains the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup, with an estimated total cost of 212 billion euros. This enormous expenditure was necessary because Qatar had to construct new stadiums and develop extensive logistical infrastructure, including transportation networks and accommodation facilities.

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