The Game Beyond the Field - Daily ScrollDown

When the World Cup Begins, So Does the Money

The FIFA World Cup has just begun. Across homes, cafes, and social media, one question is everywhere: Which team do you support? For billions of fans, the tournament is about passion, loyalty, and national pride. The emotions invested in the World Cup are impossible to measure. The money, however, is not. Economists estimate that the tournament could generate nearly $14 billion in direct event-related spending across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Behind every goal, celebration, and heartbreak lies a business machine that has turned sport into one of the world’s most valuable industries.

But the World Cup is only the most visible part of a much larger system. In modern sports, matches do not just produce winners and losers; they generate revenue, shape national image, and carry political meaning. Broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and franchise valuations turn games into business assets. At the same time, tournaments and teams become tools of influence, identity, and soft power. From players’ dressing room to boardroom and political spaces- everywhere sports are discussed, but for different purposes.

Sports as a Business Machine

Modern sports are built on attention, and attention is one of the most valuable commodities in the world. The Premier League’s clubs collectively generated enough revenue to support a football ecosystem worth tens of billions of dollars, while the IPL alone was valued at US$18.5 billion in 2025. Brands spend millions competing for visibility during major sporting events.

The reason is simple: where audiences gather, money follows. Leagues such as the EPL and IPL are business ecosystems, not just games. The more people engage, the more money the game makes

That is why the business side of sports matters so much. In 2023/24, Premier League clubs generated £6.3 billion in revenue, and the wider European football market reached a record €38 billion. Cricket has moved in the same direction: Houlihan Lokey valued the IPL’s business at US$18.5 billion in 2025, while Brand Finance put its ecosystem value at US$9.6 billion after a 20% fall from the previous year. The message is clear: in modern sports, the product is no longer just the match itself; it is the audience, the attention, and the commercial power that comes with them.

But this money does not stop at the league level. It reaches the players too. In modern sports, a player is not just a name on the team sheet. He is an asset. A performer. Sometimes even a brand. That is why clubs do not just ask, “How good is he?” They also ask, “How much value will he bring?” and “Can he fit into the business model?” In cricket, this becomes even clearer in franchise leagues like the IPL, where talent, timing, and commercial value all matter at the same time.

When Politics Steps Into the Game

Where money goes, politics often follows. Sports may look like neutral contests, but they aren’t. In some places, politicians use sports to build popularity. Governments often use major tournaments to project strength and unity.

Let’s look at some examples. Take Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL case. Reuters reported that Kolkata Knight Riders released him on BCCI’s instruction, amid rising India-Bangladesh tensions. Iran’s World Cup case showed the same thing from another angle. FIFA moved Iran’s base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, while the team’s matches still remained in the United States, because visa, security, and political concerns were already part of the tournament setup. That is the uncomfortable truth: in modern sports, politics does not sit outside the game. It sits inside it.

The Game Beyond the Field

These are only a few examples from a much longer list. Players create value. Fans create demand. Broadcasters and sponsors provide money. Governments and institutions provide influence. The result is an ecosystem where business and politics often move side by side. The game may be played on the field, but many of the most important decisions are made elsewhere.

Players score goals on the field.
Politicians and businesses score theirs off it.

Guest Author: Sadab Sakib, in collaboration with Daily Scrolldown

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