Off topic. Today, I’m writing on the World Cup and all the tiresome, parroted criticsm and accusations that get aimed at FIFA by mostly shallow minds. 

The FIFA World Cup is actually one of the world’s best investments. 

The World Cup is about people coming together.  Image generated by Grok AI

A celebration that unites billions of people

Let’s be honest: governing bodies of sports are never short of critics. But if we take a step back and look at the bigger picture, there is something truly extraordinary about what FIFA achieves every four years.

At a time when the world feels more fractured than ever, the FIFA World Cup does something almost no other event on Earth can do: it unites billions of people in a shared celebration of human potential.

When you break down the numbers, the infrastructure, and the sheer joy it brings, the World Cup isn’t just a game—it’s one of the most constructive investments humanity makes. Here is why.

1. The ultimate “feel-good” product

Think about the sheer scale of the World Cup. For one glorious month, billions of people across every time zone are tuned into the exact same wavelength. It is a premium cultural product that keeps the entire globe in a festive, electric mood for weeks. I can’t think of any other event that achieves that.

In an era dominated by stressful news cycles and social polarization, the World Cup offers a universal, much-needed psychological uplift. Neighbors who rarely speak gather at local pubs; strangers on opposite sides of the world high-five in fan zones; and nations of vastly different political, religious, and economic systems put aside their grievances to play by a single set of rules. It is a rare, beautiful reminder of our shared humanity.

2. A massive engine for jobs and businesses

Beyond the emotional high, the economic ripple effects of a World Cup are staggering. Hosting or even just broadcasting the tournament acts as a massive catalyst for macroeconomic growth.

When a country hosts the tournament, a historic influx of international visitors fills up hotels, packs restaurants, and crowds public transit. It’s not just major corporations benefiting either—local artisans, street vendors, and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) routinely experience their highest-earning periods in history.

Even outside the host nation, the tournament fuels a massive global ecosystem. From sports bars and apparel manufacturers to digital streaming platforms and advertising agencies, the event sustains and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide

3. A lasting legacy of infrastructure

We often see photos of the stunning new stadiums built for the tournament, but the real magic happens outside the stadiums. Preparing for a World Cup forces host nations to rapidly accelerate crucial public works projects that benefit local societies for generations.

To accommodate millions of fans, cities modernize their international airports, expand high-speed rail systems, overhaul urban public transit, and upgrade digital telecommunications networks. These projects employ massive local construction workforces during production and leave behind a highly competitive, modernized infrastructure that elevates the quality of life for citizens long after the final whistle blows.

4. Turning profits into progress

A common misconception is that the billions generated by the World Cup simply disappear into a corporate vault. In reality, FIFA operates as a non-profit association. The vast majority of the revenue generated by the World Cup is systematically redistributed back into human and athletic development through initiatives like the FIFA Forward program.

This money goes directly toward funding grassroots football pitches, youth academies, and training facilities in economically disadvantaged regions—giving children safe spaces to play and grow. Furthermore, this funding has catalyzed the historic growth of women’s football globally, breaking down cultural barriers and creating entirely new professional pathways for women worldwide.

The big picture: Football vs. Warfare

If you want to understand the true value of the World Cup, look at it through the lens of global spending.

Every year, humanity pours trillions of dollars into geopolitical conflicts, defense, and armaments. The return on that investment? Destrained budgets, flattened infrastructure, generational trauma, and deep human misery.

Now, look at the billions of dollars that global citizens and corporations willingly invest in the World Cup. That capital goes toward building bridges, modernizing cities, creating jobs, empowering youth, and generating collective joy.

Of course FIFA is far from perfect. Critiques of large institutions will always be necessary to push for continuous improvement. But we shouldn’t lose sight of the incredible asset we have in the World Cup. It stands as a shining example of how humanity can use its wealth to celebrate life, unity, and excellence, rather than financing division and destruction.