The World Cup honey allowed FIFA to record a record sum. In 2014, the global football organization earned 2 billion US dollars. FIFA earned 337 million from every four-year World Cup, which last year attracted a multitude of fans to Brazil, becoming a summer camp for major companies.
Last year, FIFA itself registered $140.7 million and contributed $91 million to its reserve fund. Now it amounts to 1 billion 523 million thousand.
Last year's revenue of $2.096 billion allowed the budget for the four-year cycle to be increased to $5.718 billion US dollars.
And this pile of money is not going to stop growing. Revenues should increase before the 2018 World Cup in Russia, although FIFA's reputation is tarnished by corruption and scandals of buying votes.
“This success underscores the enormous importance of the main FIFA tournament,” - declared the global football organization in the annual financial report released on Friday.
FIFA's expenses also increased. Last year they amounted to $1.955 billion. In the four-year cycle - 5.038 billion.
Among last year's expenses - $261 million for prizes for participating teams federations and confederations, $27 million for a four-star hotel near the football museum in Zurich, and $39.7 million for the executive committee members' scholarships and managers' bonuses.
As usual, FIFA President Sepp Blatter's salary and bonuses were not indicated in the report.
However, FIFA's remuneration oversight committee decided that S. Blatter and top executives had almost reached the limit of global company payments.
FIFA also paid $36 million in taxes last year.
FIFA's report revealed the budget dependency on the World Cup. The World Cup generated 84% of the revenues received in 2011-2014.
“Our tournament is unique and fantastic. 2014 proved it,” said FIFA's finance director Markus Kattner.
And although FIFA signed most contracts with broadcasters and sponsors for two tournaments - 2010 and 2014, during the second tournament, revenues still increased significantly. And the championship in Brazil was more interesting, better organized, and safer than many expected.
“And in the end, everything was fine with finances, so what are you criticizing for?” - asked M. Kattner.
The 2010 World Cup held in South Africa brought FIFA $3.655 billion, while the championship in Brazil brought in $4.826 billion. In last year's championship, FIFA was generous to teams.
It distributed $2.224 billion to national teams. The German Football Federation, the champion, received $35 million.
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