KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: FIFA remains in the money, never mind the worldwide pandemic, underscoring the world’s enduring love affair with football.

The financial report to be presented to the video-enabled annual congress on September 18 will show a slightly reduced revenue forecastits sales expectations in a revised 4-year budget (2019 to 2022) as a result of the pandemic. Four weeks before the 70th FIFA Congress, which will take place via online conference on September 18, the association expects revenues to fall by 120 million US dollars to a total of 6.44 billion dollars.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura

According to FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, the association started the new four-year period in 2019 “on a solid financial basis”.Getty Images

According to the budget approved by the FIFA Council on June 25, the operating profit before tax – as already approved by Congress in 2018 – will remain unchanged at 100 million dollars (for the years 2019 to 2022).

FIFA's reserves are projected to be $ 1.6 billion by the end of 2022 - assuming the 2022 World Cup takes place in Qatar. At the end of 2018, the association's reserves were still $ 2.745 billion. For FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who calls the past financial year 2019 "without a doubt the year of women" in view of the successful Women's World Cup in France, the "promotion of women's football after 2019 is the top priority". From the current budget, FIFA is investing one billion dollars in women's football.

The fact that FIFA is sticking to the pre-tax surplus of $ 100 million declared as a target at the 2018 Congress is due to existing contracts. The revised budget states that as of May 31, 2020 "76 percent of the budgeted income has already been contractually secured." The most important sources of income are television rights (51 percent of the total) before marketing rights (28 percent). 94 percent of the budgeted $ 3.3 billion income from TV rights is contractually fixed; marketing rights are 72 percent of $ 1.766 billion.

FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura writes in the report to the Congress on September 18: "In 2019, FIFA started a new four-year period on a solid financial basis and can therefore invest record sums in promoting football all over the world".

Rainer Franzke