FIFA President Gianni Infantino has hailed the 2034 FIFA World Cup as a groundbreaking chance for Saudi Arabia, calling on global investors to tap into football's vast economic and social potential at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum 2025 in Riyadh.
The tournament, set to be the first 48-team World Cup hosted by a single country, showcases Saudi Arabia's football ambitions and cultural shifts.
Infantino emphasized football's power to unite people across borders, languages, and religions, with 5 billion fans worldwide.
“The opportunities are huge,” Infantino said. “Football is a game followed by five billion people around the world. We need to find a way to connect these five billion people because that’s what they are watching: a World Cup, 104 games in one month - 104 Super Bowls in one month.”
Highlighting football's financial potential, Infantino noted the sport generates around USD 270 billion in global GDP annually, with 70% coming from Europe.
He suggested that if other regions, like Saudi Arabia and the U.S., could match 20% of Europe's football output, the global GDP impact could exceed half a trillion dollars.
"The global football GDP in one year today is around USD 270 billion, of which about 70% is produced in Europe," he noted.
"If the rest of the world, in particular Saudi Arabia or the United States of America, would do just 20% of what Europe does in soccer, we could reach over half a trillion or more of GDP impact."
Infantino also stressed the growth of women's football, announcing FIFA's target of USD 1 billion in revenue from the Women's World Cup.
With the tournament expanding to 48 teams by 2031 and Saudi Arabia already developing its women's national team and league, Infantino's message was clear: investing in football is a smart move.