FILE PHOTO: FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveils Brazil as the winner of the bid to host the Women's World Cup, during the 74th FIFA Congress at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, May 17, 2024. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo
(Reuters) -FIFA is targeting $1 billion in revenue from the Women's World Cup, global soccer governing body's president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday at the Saudi Arabia-U.S. Investment Forum 2025 in Riyadh.
The 2023 Women's World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, broke even after generating more than $570 million in revenue.
"Women's football and women in football are crucially important...," said Infantino.
"It's growing as well, and exponentially, and we are targeting that as well to have $1 billion revenue just with the Women's World Cup to reinvest in the women's game."
The next women's World Cup in 2027 will be hosted by Brazil, making it the first edition to be held in South America. The United States is poised to be named host of the 2031 edition, which will be expanded to 48 teams from 32.
Infantino also said there was massive potential for football to generate more revenue outside Europe.
"If the rest of the world, in particular Saudi Arabia or the United States of America, would do just 20% of what Europe does in soccer, we (could reach an amount of over) half a trillion (dollars) or more of GDP impact (with our sport)," he added.
"Saudi Arabia, by the way, is doing exceptionally good, as well, by creating a women's league, a women's national team. Women's football is really the only team sport for women that has such a huge audience and impact as well."
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
