The World Cup like other sports megaevents always underperforms economically.
FIFA packs up and leaves town Sunday night following the Spain versus Argentina World Cup championship match up and it will leave a stench. But before Gianni Infantino and his FIFA colleagues get out of town, they are leaving a little present. FIFA plans to sell small pieces of the New Jersey Meadowlands stadium grass from the final. The starting price for a small piece of the turf? $450. The state of New Jersey paid for the grass, not FIFA, and New Jersey elected officials want a piece of the loot. And players from the National Football League’s New York Giants and New York Jets are trying to figure out why the grass isn’t staying as the field’s surface.
FIFA made grandiose promises of a great economic impact for the 11 host cities of the United States games. Those economic promises came up short. Hotels discounted rooms. Some sports bars ended up doing rather well but when all is said and done, cities will never get the FIFA promised windfall. Tickets prices were out of reach for many and some forms of to and from stadium transportation prices were considerably hiked. Commuters had their daily travel to work disrupted. It will take a while for each of the host cities to put out a World Cup financial statement but even before FIFA rolled into town, New York City Comptroller Mark Levine warned that it could cost the city more than it will generate. There is no guarantee that the host cities will offer an accurate financial accounting of having the event in town. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee is starting an investigation of all of Infantino’s World Cup antics. What will be the penalty? Infantino won’t be able to attend the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? FIFA is leaving town.
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