While FIFA Makes Bank Off World Cup, Host Cities Pay

Cities may be bracing for World Cup fever this summer, but the real winner is already clear—and it's FIFA, and the losers are the hosts. Writing in the Atlantic, Henry Grabar uses New Jersey's now-notorious plan to charge World Cup fans $150 for a normally $13 round-trip train to MetLife Stadium as an entry point into a broader financial picture: FIFA collects billions, while cities and states absorb the costs. The organization expects to rake in around $13 billion from tickets, sponsorships, media rights, and parking, yet local governments are left paying for security, transportation upgrades, stadium tweaks, and "fan zones," with few realistic ways to earn that money back. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill posted online that FIFA "will cost NJ TRANSIT at least $48 million. ... As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans."

Grabar details how tight FIFA's contracts are, how sponsors are locked up in ways that sideline local fundraising, and how other economic activity gets displaced as cities clear calendars and divert public resources. The result, experts say, is that hosts get the bills and none of the upside—while places like Chicago and Montreal, which walked away from bidding, don't seem to regret it. For a clear-eyed look at who really profits from the World Cup, read the full piece in the Atlantic.