Beyond the Game: The Legal Process of Hosting FIFA's World Cup and Club World Cup
The viewership of the most-watched NFL Super Bowl attracted 123.7 million viewers.[i] The most-watched NBA Finals game garnered 35.9 million viewers.[ii] Together, these iconic events reached approximately 159.6 million viewers. On the other hand, the 2022 men’s FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France drew 1.5 billion viewers globally.[iii] This staggering figure dwarfs the combined audience of some of the biggest games in American sports history, underscoring the unparalleled scale and impact of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.
This gigantic event requires not just extraordinary preparation in terms of infrastructure and significant financial investments, but also a comprehensive legal process. Hosting a World Cup involves numerous agreements, declarations, and guarantees between the host nation and FIFA to meet the Federation’s stringent requirements.
Legal Framework of Hosting a FIFA World Cup
To host the FIFA World Cup, countries must submit their bids to FIFA declaring their intention and their readiness to fulfill the requirements for hosting the competition. The bidding nation (or nations) must comply with FIFA’s rigorous legal requirements, spanning multiple jurisdictions when a joint bid is involved. Initially, countries submit a detailed bid that outlines their ability to meet FIFA’s infrastructural, financial, and legal expectations. This process often includes a commitment to enacting new legislation or modifying existing laws to accommodate FIFA’s operational needs.[iv]
In more detail, FIFA requires host nations to fulfill a range of comprehensive obligations to ensure a seamless tournament. These commitments can be grouped into four key categories:
1. Agreements: These include the Host Agreement, which governs FIFA’s exclusive rights during the tournament, the Host City Agreements, which are required from all cities in the host nation that would like to host one or more matches of the tournament, and agreements for securing stadiums, broadcasting rights, and sponsorships. They ensure that all operations meet FIFA’s commercial and logistical standards.[v]
2. Guarantees: Host nations must provide assurances on customs processes, tax exemptions, visa facilitation, and intellectual property protections. Safety measures, competent transportation systems, and ample lodging accommodations are also guaranteed to facilitate smooth operations.
3. Declarations: The government of the hosting nation(s) and each city that wants to host games of the FIFA World Cup must issue declarations regarding different topics. These declarations are designed to align with FIFA’s global objectives of operational excellence such as statements about environmental sustainability and financial backing for shortfalls.
These categories highlight FIFA’s dedication to creating a tournament that balances global standards with local execution.[vi]
A critical legal question remains: how can the host nations balance their sovereignty with the far-reaching requirements imposed by FIFA? From resolving potential disputes over tax exemptions to ensuring human rights compliance in labor practices, the 2026 tournament presents complex challenges. How the three nations navigate these issues could set important precedents for future multinational sporting events.
The United Bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the first time the tournament will be hosted by three nations—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—showcasing diverse legal systems working together to meet FIFA’s requirements. The tournament will feature an expanded format with 48 teams, increasing the logistical complexity.[vii] Each host country must ensure the seamless movement of players, officials, and fans across borders. Legal agreements between the three nations include the coordination of immigration policies, tax structures, and safety protocols.
The legal preparations for the United Bid 2026 began long before the awarding of the hosting rights. Each country’s respective governments passed legislation to ensure compliance with FIFA’s demands. These included tax exemptions for FIFA and its partners, intellectual property protections, and commitments to anti-discrimination policies to align with FIFA’s human rights requirements.[viii]
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, slated to feature an expanded format with 32 clubs, is another highly anticipated event in FIFA’s calendar. Unlike the FIFA World Cup, which features national teams, the Club World Cup brings together the top club teams from different domestic leagues and in different continents around the world, competing to be crowned the best club globally. This tournament serves as a precursor to the World Cup and involves its own set of legal and organizational challenges. For the first time, the Club World Cup will adopt a format resembling the traditional national teams FIFA World Cup, thereby necessitating legal frameworks similar to those for the 2026 event.[ix]
The legal processes for hosting the Club World Cup include agreements between FIFA, host nations, and participating clubs. These agreements—similar to the National team FIFA World Cup—cover broadcasting rights, sponsorship arrangements, and intellectual property protections. As a major commercial event, the Club World Cup also involves negotiating lucrative contracts with global partners while adhering to strict compliance standards.
Fans, players, and stakeholders eagerly anticipate the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a unique moment in sports history made possible through meticulous planning and legal coordination. Similarly, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup promises to set a new standard for club competitions, further enhancing FIFA’s global appeal.
As these events draw nearer, they remind us that beyond the spectacle of the matches themselves, they involve cumbersome legal processes that are equally critical to their success.
[i] Super Bowl LVIII Viewership Statistics, ESPN, https://www.espn.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[ii] NBA Finals Game 6 Viewership, Sports Media Watch, https://www.sportsmediawatch.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[iii] FIFA Men’s World Cup 2022 Viewership, Inside FIFA, https://www.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[iv] FIFA Hosting Guidelines, Digital Hub FIFA, https://digitalhub.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[v] Overview of Hosting Requirements, Medias24, https://medias24.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[vi] Overview of Government Guarantees and the Government Declaration., FIFA, https://www.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025). Guide to the Bidding Process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA, https://www.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[vii] How the FIFA World Cup 26™ will work with 48 teams, FIFA, https://www.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[viii] FIFA Praises Human Rights Engagement with FIFA World Cup 2026, Inside FIFA, https://inside.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).
[ix] FIFA Council confirms key details for FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, Inside FIFA, https://inside.fifa.com (last visited Jan. 20, 2025).